Winx Club Rewrite 1: Flame of the Dragon
by ArachCobra
Summary: Bloom thought she was an ordinary girl from Earth who would have to remain satisfied merely with dreaming of magic and fairies. That all changed when the fairy Stella barged into her life, pursued by an ogre.
1. An Unexpected Event

Winx Club Rewrite: Flame of the Dragon

By ArachCobra and Givenea

_Authors Note: Some of you may be wondering why? Why make this? Well, it all started when my girlfriend wanted me to watch the second season of Winx Club, not because she was a big fan, or even a regular fan, but because she thought it would be funny. It might have stayed that, me and my girlfriend watching and mocking the show, if she hadn't run across a funny fact. Techna 's design was based on the musician Pink. And then she started pondering how Techna would be if she acted more like Pink did in her videos. Then it kinda spiralled out of control, as we bounced ideas back and forth between each others, how the characters could be improved, how plot holes could be closed, how scenes could be altered to make more sense. In the end, we had so much material that we thought we might as well go through with it and just rewrite the damn show. So now, we have watched all currently available episodes and here is our take on how the show could be improved. Like it, hate it, have your own suggestions? Just write to us in the comments._

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Event

Gardenia was a middle sized city, lying on the west coast of USA in the state of California. It wasn't a particularly famous town, but it was reasonably popular amongst tourists for its pristine beaches and a couple of middle sized businesses had their headquarters in the middle of the city. Plus, it had managed to attract the usual chains of stores that always seems to pop up whenever a city reaches a certain size, such as Walmart, McDonald's and Starbucks.

In the suburbs of Gardenia lived the Peterson family, consisting of Vanessa, Mike and their daughter Bloom Peterson. They lived in an average sized house and had done so for the last fourteen years, having moved in shortly after Bloom became part of the family. She had her own room on the first floor, the blue walls covered with sketches of things both real and imaginary. Prominent themes where not only beautiful landscapes, but also fairies, elves and other such graceful beings of legend.

And on a sunny Tuesday in the middle of June, the girl herself was snoozing quietly under her duvet, her orange-red hair flowing messily out over her pillow. And she could probably have continued sleeping for quite a while, if she hadn't been woken by a stern: "Are you still sleeping now?".

Groggily, Bloom forced her eyes open and mumbled something unintelligible before glancing at the clock by her bedside. It took a couple of seconds for her brain to register the time, before she with a yelp almost fell from her bed. "Oh no, I'm late, I'm late" she gasped, struggling to free herself from her duvet, tumbling from her bed, almost falling to the floor in the process of running for her clothes. Her mother just kept watching her daughter, counting the seconds. Bloom suddenly froze while simultaneous trying to fix her hair and put her pants on. "Summer break" she said. "School's closed". There was a short pause. "MOM" she yelled annoyed and pouted.

"Sixteen seconds, much better than last year" chuckled Vanessa. "Breakfast, however, is ready despite the summer break, so there's that". Bloom sighed in a manner that was supposed to sound annoyed, but the effect was ruined by her attempt at hiding an amused smile. As her mom left the room, she continued to put on clothes, albeit at a pace that didn't risk breaking any limbs.

A couple of minutes later, Bloom descended down the stairs, having found a blue and pale yellow top and matching jeans to wear. She entered the kitchen, sat down at the small table and said: "Morning dad".

Her dad, whose name was Mike and who was currently busy with today's paper, was a fairly muscular man with blond hair and a fondness for blue clothing, which he shared with Bloom. Her mom, who arrived with a dish full of pancakes, was a lightly build lady with brown hair who almost constantly wore a pair of blue overalls.

As she sat down, Mike asked: "So when could Jenny watch the store?".

"Not until the twentieth. She's visiting her grandmother" came her reply.

"Excellent. I'll tell my boss I'll take my vacation there then. He's been curious, knows we go on vacation this time of year and all that" said Mike pleased and put down his newspaper.

"We're going back to that beach resort again this year?" asked Bloom.

"Yep" answered her dad, then noticing his daughter's expression he asked: "Something wrong?".

"Well, no, not wrong" said Bloom. "It's just, Mitzi has been bragging about her ski trip, Jonas is going to Vegas, Jonathan and Bob to New York and we're going to the same place we've been since..." Bloom thought about it for a moment. "...well, since ever".

"Don't you like it there?" asked her mom concerned.

"It's fun enough, it's just, I'd really like to go somewhere else for a change" she said while poking a pancake with a fork.

"Yeah, it would be nice, but it's the best combination of low price and quality" said her dad.

"I know. You said so last year" said Bloom.

"Well, we'll have fun as usual" said her mom. After a moment, she added: "But I think we have something that might just help on it all". Seeing her daughters curious look, she added: "Here's a hint. It's got two wheels". Bloom's face lit up in a big smile and she had to visibly restrain herself from just pouring her breakfast down her throat.

...

"Is this really necessary" asked Bloom, as she was lead outside with her dad holding his quite sizeable hands over her eyes.

"Of course it is. It's a surprise" added her dad joyfully. "And here it is". With that he let go of her head. In front of them was a new bicycle. It was red with a basket in front that was filled with what Bloom suspected was flowers from her mom's store.

Vanessa studied her daughter's face carefully. Bloom went from lit up with expectations, then a twinge of disappointment marked her for a bit, before she turned around and gave her mother a hug while saying: "Thank you" with an earnest smile marking her face.

"Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?" chuckled her dad, before receiving his hug.

"Of course I wouldn't forget thanking you" said his daughter with a smile. "I think I'll try it out on a trip to the park. I think Kiko will like it".

"Sounds like an excellent idea" agreed her mother. Mike and Vanessa watched as their daughter hurried back into the house.

"See, I told you she would like it" said Mike, turning to his wife.

"Yes, but she had obviously hoped for a scooter" sighed her mom. "Well, maybe one day. We could always save up money for it".

Mike scratched the back of his neck and said: "I don't know. Scooters are a bit dangerous. I mean, I heard John's neighbours son once..."

"We can't always base our decisions on what could possibly go wrong. If we did, we would never be able to leave the house. And you know that" she said with a smile and a poke to her husband's chest.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just worried, you know. She's almost an adult and I..." sighed Mike, but Vanessa interrupted him with a: "I know. Now shhh, she's coming back down".

Bloom almost jumped out the door, holding a grey guinea pig in her hands. She placed it in the basket and bid her parents goodbye. As she began cycling down the road, she heard her dad call out: "Drive carefully. And be home at six".

"I will" she called back.

...

As Bloom drove towards the park, she noted a group of her classmates had gathered in a side street. Curious, she drove right to see what was going on. She recognised the group. Jasper, the class clown with freckles, Sabrina, the cute girl with a shoe fashion obsession and Jowan, the football player. And at the centre of attention, presenting her new scooter, was Mitzi Monet. A girl with long black hair, dark-blue somewhat pointy glasses, a green top and khaki capris. Seeing her new scooter made Bloom a bit jealous. Her bragging over said scooter just made her roll her eyes.

"It's just a shame I won't have a chance to use it much over the next month, because we will be going on a ski trip" sighed Mitzi dramatically, obviously enjoying every second of attention she got.

"Hey, nice scooter" said Bloom as she stopped her bicycle besides them. "When did you get it?"

"Why, this very morning in fact" said Mitzi, then petted the thing like it was a pet. "And it's not just any scooter, it's a very expensive, quality model".

"Which model?" asked Bloom.

Mitzi opened her mouth as if to answer, paused a bit, then started checking the scooter.

"Gee, must be really good the way you completely forgot it" chuckled the redhead as Mitzi tried to figure out where the mark was on the scooter.

"Oh, ha ha" said the black haired girl: "And for you information it's a PGO". She looked up and said: "And I bet you don't know which model your..." she paused for a moment. "Huh, new bike?".

"Yep, also got it just today" said Bloom. "And mine even came with flowers".

"Because that is the deal breaker when it comes to two wheeled transports" said Jasper. "Whether it has plants or not". This caused a chuckle in the group of teenagers.

"So anyway, when will you be going on vacation?" continued Bloom.

"Plane leaves tomorrow" answered Mitzi with a smile. "What about you Bloom? Oh wait, let me guess". She made an exaggerated thinking pose, ending up resembling a female teenage version of the Thinker. "After careful deliberation, I've deduced that you're going to the beach" she said with a triumphant pointing.

"Finally figured out basic pattern recognition" Bloom shot back. This caused another chuckle from the teens. "Anyways, I gotta get going. Kiko and me have planned a trip to the park. Isn't that right Kiko?" she asked and petted the guinea pig that was busy nibbling on a flower. Saying her farewells, she continued on towards the park.

...

The park was a fairly large and well kept place and was considered by many Gardenians to be the pride of the town. Bloom knew that her mom had donated several plants from her own shop over the years. It was a nice open place with enough space that she easily found a somewhat secluded spot for her and her pet to rest in. With a happy sigh she sat down and brought out her sketch book and pencils.

"You know Kiko, I really wish mum and dad would take me on a vacation to somewhere other than the beach" she said to her pet whilst sketching a nearby oak tree. "I mean, I know they want to go somewhere else too. And I know that vacations to the mountains or New York aren't cheap". She paused for a moment, and then added: "Well, I guess we could get to New York even on our budget. But we wouldn't exactly be able to do anything". She continued sketching and continued: "Well, maybe if my dad gets another promotion it could happen. Or if mother's store got a bit more famous. Hmm, maybe I should help her set up a website. That could work, right Kiko?". She gave her pet a look as it scurried amongst the grass. "Well, I guess you're happy as long as there's grass huh?". She chuckled a bit and went back to sketching, making sure to keep an eye on her pet.

Almost an hour had passed and Bloom was just putting the finishing touches on her sketch when a roar unlike anything she had ever heard before rocked the park, causing the redhead to yelp and snap the tip of her pen. Kiko immediately bolted back to her. "What in the blazes was that?" she said and grabbed her pet. Then several strange sounds could be heard not far from them and Bloom though she could hear yelling. Panicked yelling. Cursing herself for forgetting to bring her cellphone, she placed Kiko back in the basket so she at least knew where he was and then ran towards the sounds.

As she hurried through the thicket, she could see a nearby glade through the trees. And what she saw mystified her. A girl with long blond hair, an orange backpack, quite noticeable black eye shadow, even from a distance, and a once beautiful green halter top and orange skirt. However, both pieces of cloth where torn and the girl was visibly bleeding from a couple of long scratches. She was holding a long white staff with a sun motif at the top, grasping on to it with enough force to turn her knuckles white, as if letting go would kill her.

And then, with a horribly screeching sound, a red and black thing with wicked claws and sharp fangs jumped at the blonde. With a desperate swing, she hit the creature with a resounding crack, sending the beast to the grass in a heap where it then dissolved into nothing. The girl was breathing heavily and as Bloom carefully sneaked closer, she could see sweat dripping from the blonde's face.

And then a deep, guttural voice growled: "Hand over the staff, girl, or my pets will tear you apart". The girl stared at something, fear obvious in her eyes and Bloom followed her line of sight. And then the redhead gasped. On the other side of the glade, surrounded by a dozen of the small red creatures, stood a massive humanoid being. It's skin was a sandy brown and covered massive bulging muscles. The creature was slightly hunched over, with two beady little eyes, a set of brown overalls and an impressive well kept beard.

"You'll never get the Sceptre of Solaria, you ugly brute" wheezed the blonde, obviously trying hard to sound intimidating. The creature grunted a simple barked order in an unfamiliar language and the small red creatures attacked. Three of them jumped towards the blonde and Bloom found herself holding her breath. And then the whole glade lit up as if a flash bang had gone off. The creatures tumbled and rolled on the grass, trying desperately to regain their sight. Before they could recover the blonde lowered her hand and pointed her staff and from it fired a searing beam of light that bisected two of the creatures. Another launched itself at the staff wielding girl with its maw wide open, but she merely fired another beam strait down it's gullet. The dead creature fell to the earth like a rock and dissolved into glimmering dust.

Bloom found herself biting her lips. She had never seen creatures like these before, nor people doing what the girl was doing. She wanted to help, but wasn't sure if she should. Or even how she should.

The massive humanoid grunted dissatisfied at the destruction of its little companions, then set off with a roar, charging towards the girl with frightening speed. She yelped and just barely managed to throw herself to the side, before the creature's ham sized fist ploughed through the air where her head had been moments before and smashed into a tree with enough force to make several large cracks in the bark. The girl landed roughly on the grass, but immediately had to scramble away as the massive being turned and tried to crush her with a hay maker that instead left an impressive dent in the earth with such resounding force, that even Bloom could feel it in her legs.

The blonde quickly tried to get herself away from the creature and hurried up on her legs. "One move and I'll fry your eyes out" she warned, her voice ragged. Despite her bravado, it's was obvious from her shaking that she wasn't nearly as confident in her victory as she tried to sound. The sand coloured creature merely glared at her, as if judging how to approach the staff wielder. And then Bloom noticed something. Two of the red creatures where sneaking up on the blonde, quietly moving closer. And then they prepared to jump the girl.

"BEHIND YOU" yelled Bloom and the girl immediately half turned and fired another blinding flash that sent the creatures scurrying back. The massive humanoid immediately turned its head towards the red haired intruder and barked another order, causing several of the red beings to change target from the blonde to Bloom.

She tried to back off, but one of the creatures jumped and managed to attach itself to her leg, forcing the needle like points of its claws into her flesh. With a scream, Bloom fell to the ground and tried to kick the creature off. She planted a foot in the middle of its face, sending it reeling back, in the process tearing long gashes in both her jeans and leg. She cried out in pain once more, then watched in panic as another one jumped for her head. The being, however, took a ball of searing light in the back from the blonde, which fried the creature. She tried to give Bloom a reassuring smile, but immediately had to dodge, as the massive humanoid tried to grab hold of her.

Bloom desperately tried to crawl away as several more creatures stalked towards her, the staff wielder now too busy trying not to get hit by the hulking being's massive fists to help her. And then Bloom felt something inside her. It felt like a pure font of energy, growing greater by the second. As the creatures launched themselves at her, she screamed and held up her hands to defend herself. And then the energy in her ignited.

A scorching wall of fire exploded from her hands, incinerating the attacking creatures. The wall continued onwards with the sound of roaring flames and the blonde barely managed to throw herself out of the way. Her attacker was not so lucky. It hit it in it's right side which caused it to roar in pain. As the flames subsided, Bloom could see that most of the creature's right arm had been scorched to the point of blackening and much of its right side was already blistering from the heat. The being clutched its wounded arm and pulled back, eyeing the redhead with fury. Then it barked another order and what creatures remained attached themselves to the massive humanoid. And then with a flash they were all gone. The blonde stared at the spot where the being had been for a few seconds, before she allowed herself to collapse on the grass.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Bloom and ran over to her.

"I'm fine, now that I'm no longer at the risk of becoming a Solarian flatcake" she sighed. "What about you? Your leg got torn up".

"It's not so bad" said Bloom, eyeing her bleeding leg. It would take a couple of days to heal, but it wasn't as bad as she initially feared. "But, who are you? And what where those creatures? And how did you do that light thing? And..."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down" said the blonde. "One question at the time". With Bloom's help, she managed to get up on her legs, though it obviously pained her to do so. She tried to adjust her torn clothes, but had little success in making it look good.

Giving up, she sighed and said: "I'm princess Stella of the Guildenstern Dynasty of Solaria". She then tried to pose a bit.

Bloom merely cocked her head in confusion.

"You know, Solaria. The jewel of the planet of Horus" she continued.

"Honestly, I have no idea what you are talking about" said Bloom.

"Come on, my dad was all over TV recently, what with the whole helping the Durken Nomads after a rival tribe had poisoned one of their oases. Doesn't that ring a bell?" asked Stella.

"No, none of those things sound remotely familiar" admitted Bloom.

"Then I have really landed out in the boonies" sighed Stella. "Where am I?".

"Gardenia" answered Bloom. And now it was Stella's turn to look confused. "California" tried Bloom. "America. How about Earth?". After a short pause, she continued: "You don't even know what planet Earth is, do you?"

"Nope, but interdimensional geography was not my strong side" admitted Stella, as if that was a normal thing.

"Wait, interdimensional? You're from another world?" asked Bloom.

"Of course, silly" said Stella. Then seeing Bloom's expression, she continued: "Gosh, you really had no idea, did you?".

"No. I didn't even know that there was other worlds" Bloom said with a shocked expression.

"Hmm, I wasn't really prepared for this" said Stella. "To be honest, I landed here quite by accident. I was out shopping for some new fabric when that brute suddenly barged into the shop and tried to corner me. I panicked and tried to gate away. Bad idea" she admitted. When she saw Bloom's puzzled look, she explained: "My staff, the Sceptre of Solaris, can open gates between worlds. However, one has to focus and, well, I was panicking. So it brought me here. Would have escaped that big bully had he not managed to throw a gate ring at me the moment he figured I was going to gate away".

"Gate ring?" asked Bloom confused.

"That thing" said Stella and pointed at a ring left where the beastly humanoid had stood. "It's enchanted so that even people who can't do magic can teleport between it and another location. And I don't know how to disenchant something like that, so we should get away before that ogre gates back. They kinda heal fast".

"Wait, that thing was an ogre?" said Bloom in a voice somewhere between shock and amazement. "I didn't think they existed".

"A bit uncommon in most places, but if you know where to look, there's plenty of them" noted Stella. "Anyway, do you know of a safe place nearby. I kinda need to rest? I'm so beat that I risk ending up somewhere totally horrible if I try to gate away right now".

"Yeah, sure, you could stay at my place" answered Bloom and lead Stella through the woods. "So he was an ogre. What where those little things?"

"Imps" answered Stella. "Small magical constructs. Cheap and easy to mass produce".

"And you? Are you some sort of sorceress or witch or something?" asked the redhead as she grabbed her bike.

"A witch? Pulease" answered Stella with an eye roll. "I'm a fairy".

"Really?" asked Bloom as the two of them slowly made their way through the park. "I thought fairies where smaller. And had wings".

"No, now you're thinking of pixies" said Stella. "A fairy is, like, a type of magic user".

"Wow" said Bloom, slowly trying to take it all in. "That all sounds amazing. So why was that ogre after you?"

"Beats me. I know he wanted the sceptre and that's just about it. My family is popular, but no royal family is without enemies" said Stella with a shrug. She focused on her staff for a moment and in a flash it had transformed into a ring with a sun motif. Noting Bloom's sudden amazed expression, she said with a smirk: "You're really easy to impress".

"Yeah, well, we don't have real magic around here" said Bloom sadly. "I've always wanted to see some, but this is still way beyond what I expected. I mean, laser beam, imps, portals. I'm still working on making my brain accept that that just happened".

"Hmm, well, I could tell you some, but I'm hardly a walking encyclopedia" mumbled Stella. After a moment she asked: "Wait, if you're completely unfamiliar with magic, how did you pull of that awesome fire spell. That wasn't exactly newbie material".

"You know" said Bloom slowly and stared at her hand. "I really don't know".

...

The ogre winced, as he felt the slightly painful tingling in his arm, indicating that he was regenerating. It was taking longer than usual on account of the fire messing with the process. He was in the process of letting a couple of imps he had in reserve out of their cages, when a shrill loud voice yelled: "KNUT".

Knut the ogre sighed in annoyance, as shadows began covering the room he was in and three sets massive white eyes stared down at him. He turned around, fell down on the floor and said: "My ladies. You require my attention".

"We have noted your return. We have also noted the complete lack of the Sceptre of Solaria" sounded another voice, this one smooth and controlled.

"It wasn't my fault my ladies. I had the girl on the ropes, but another magic user interfered" said Knut while trying to remain in a position that was suitably subservient. "I sent my imps to keep her out of the fight, but then she conjured a massive flame wave. Look at my arm". He demonstrated by showing his blackened arm. "I had to retreat and recover. I lost too many imps and dared not continue the fight".

"Coward" sneered a third voice impatiently.

"So, who was this interloper?" asked the second voice.

"Well, she had red hair and blue clothes" explained Knut quickly.

"And?" asked the first voice. After a moment, Knut shrugged and tried to look as apologetic as possible.

"You forgot to wear your damn glasses again didn't you?" hissed the third voice. "So on top of being cowardly and nearly blind, you're also dumb as a fucking doorknob. I bet you aren't even sure if it really was a girl".

"Reasonably sure" said Knut with as tiny a voice as he could muster, but he was met with a deafening roar of: "SILENCE".

"Why did we hire this guy again?" asked the first voice.

"Because he's strong, a good tracker and grants us plausible deniability" sighed the second voice, as if she had already explained it a couple of times by now. "Not that it matters much, now that he has lost track of her".

"Actually my mistresses, I dropped the gate ring before leaving, so I can follow the trail. She was bleeding and so was the other girl" explained the ogre quickly before the voices started yelling at him again.  
"Hmm, that will have to do" said the first voice. "Then finish fixing yourself AND GET THAT SCEPTRE".

...

"What happened? It looks like you have been attacked by a wolf pack" said Mike with horror in his voice as Bloom helped Stella down on the couch. It had taken some time for Bloom to get the limping Stella to her home and the sky was already darkening.

"Actually, it's not that far off" said Bloom. "Though it is quite unbelievable".

"What happened?" asked her mom as she came in with the first aid box.

"Yeah, one word: Ogre" said Bloom.

Her parents stared at her for a moment, before her dad asked: "Like, as in a really big guy?".

"As in a brutal troll-like figure of myth" explained Bloom.

After a moment of silence, where the only thing that could be heard was the wincing of Stella getting her wounds cleaned, her father continued with a: "Did you hit your head during all this?".

"Actually she's telling the truth. We, or rather I wOUCH!... was attacked by an ogre and a pack of imps" said Stella. Vanessa gave Mike a confused look which he returned. "Also, I'm a fairy" continued Stella with a bright smile.

"That's it. I'm calling the police and the hospital" said Mike and went for a nearby phone. "You're obviously not well and I need to check up on this".

Stella huffed indignantly and a green flash exploded from her finger tips. Mike stared confused at her for a moment before slowly returning to trying to dial a number, while keeping an eye on Stella as if she could explode at any moment. Then he paused.

"Vanessa my dear, am I holding a banana?" he asked slowly, looking at the yellow fruit in his hand.

"Yes dear" said Bloom's mum, who up until that moment had been applying bandages to Stella's wounds, her eyes wide with surprise.

"But I picked up the phone, which is now missing, right?" continued Bloom's father, staring at the banana as if breaking eye contact would cause it to go for his face.

"Yep" came the reply.

"I was afraid you were going to say that" he said slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay, so maybe you're not cuckoo for coco puffs" he said, turning towards Stella. "Now, can I please have my phone back?".

"Uhm, sure, how does it work?" asked Stella.

"What do you mean by how does a phone work? Push button, call another phone" said Bloom's dad annoyed.

"Well, yeah, but I meant, like, the mechanical stuff inside" she said, trying to avoid eye contact while rubbing her neck. "I kinda sorta need to know that to transform it back".

"In other words I'm not getting my phone back" sighed Mike and rubbed his temples. "And today looked like it would be such a great day. But now my daughter has been mauled by ogres, goblins, monsters and god knows what else and has dragged a fairy into my house, who, on top of it all, has turned my phone into a frickin' banana". He stared at the aforementioned fruit with annoyance.

"There is one other thing" said Bloom slowly, not sure how to breach the topic.

Mike sighed and said: "Let's hear it".

"Well, I saved Stella by somehow using magic" she said, fingering her hair nervously.

Her parents stared at each other for a moment.

"It's true, she unleashed a pretty powerful spell. I could totally see her going far with some training" said Stella cheerfully.

"Bloom, why don't you prepare a mattress upstairs for Stella. I think me and dad needs to talk about this for a moment" said Vanessa.

"Sure" said Bloom, eager to leave behind the awkward mood that had settled over the room ever since the phone had been bananafied. "Come, it's right up the stairs".

...

"Sorry 'bout the phone. I guess I kinda overreacted" said Stella sheepishly as she sat down on Blooms bed.

"Well, it worked. No denying the magic in that trick" said Bloom. "So, what else can you tell me about other worlds? You said you where a fairy right? And you made it sound like an education. Where does one train to be a fairy? How does one...".

"Wow, slow down girl" said Stella whilst holding up her hands, as if to somehow push the swarm of questions back. "I learned what I know from the Alfea Institute of Fairy Magic".

"So there's an entire school dedicated to training people in being fairies" Bloom said with glee written all over her face. "How? With what? What can you do?".

"And again with the tidal wave of questions" sighed Stella with a smirk. "See, I might not be the best to explain it, but here's how it works. Every fairy has this, what was it..." she paused for a moment. "A knack, I think Palladium called it. Sorta like, I don't know, your magical flavour. You're strongest when you draw power from you knack. Mine is light". She demonstrated this by making her fingertip glow as if it was a flash light. "And I'll take a wild guess and say yours is fire. Unless you're something completely exceptional, you usually don't pull of tricks like that one you did unless you're using your knack. And then by using different techniques, you then figure out how to make defensive magic, utility magic and so on. It involves a lot of practice and improvising as each knack has its own applications. Or at least, that's the explanation I got" Stella said with a shrug.

"How is turning my dad's phone into a banana related to light?" asked Bloom with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, as I said, one is strongest when using a knack, but that doesn't mean you can't learn spells of other elements. You're just more limited" explained Stella. "Listen, I am totally not the best to teach you this". Her eyes lit up as she seemed to have been inspired and with glee she jumped up from the bed. And then visibly winced as her wounds started to ache. "Wish my knack was healing right about now" she gasped. "Anyways, why don't you enroll on Alfea? You seem to have potential and trust me on this, cause I got an eye for potential. In fact I can show you Alfea".

"You can? How?" asked Bloom intrigued.

"A magic postcard" answered Stella. "Give me a moment, I got it somewhere down here".

...

With a flash, Knut reappeared in the glade he had left. Looking at the ground, he found and picked up the gate ring he had thrown when he retreated. "Wear your glasses, idiot. Commit crimes for us, idiot. Get set on fire for us, because being wealthy schoolgirls we are obviously so much more important than you" he mockingly grumbled as the dozen of imps on his back jumped off. "I swear, if I didn't need the money that badly I would...". Cursing and grumbling Knut investigated the glade, carefully sniffing the air as he went. "Besides" he said to himself as a predatory smile lit up his face. "Who needs glasses when you've got a nose like mine". He lowered himself to the ground where blood had soaked the grass and gave if a whiff. With a grunting command, he ordered his diminutive minions to follow him as he marched through the park, sniffing the air like a bloodhound.

...

"Aha. Here it is" said Stella triumphantly and pulled a post card from her bag.

"So, what's magical about it?" asked Bloom curiously.

"It allows you to visit the place it pictures" answered Stella. "Well, kinda. You'll see in a moment". She held the postcard for a moment, while closing her eyes in concentration. And then she dropped it. As it slowly fell to the floor like a leaf from a tree, it expanded until it covered the prepared mattress.

"Wow " said Bloom astonished.

"And then you just step in and it's like you're already there" said Stella, demonstrating by stepping onto the postcard and then sinking into its rippling surface. Bloom stared in amazement, then slowly stepped closer to the now enormous card. Gently she knelt and prodded the surface, causing it to ripple. It didn't feel like liquid. In fact, Bloom didn't feel anything at all. Only the rippling of the picture confirmed that she was touching it. And then Stella's head suddenly popped up again, causing the redhead to fall back with a frightened yelp.

"Ups, sorry, sorry" said Stella apologetically while holding on to the edge of the postcard. "I remembered I had to make a phone call and reception is notoriously bad inside postcards".

"Never imagined I would ever hear someone say that" said Bloom while she rubbed her bum. "Who do you need to call?".

"Well, I have to at least try to report the ogre attack to the Red Fountain Barracks. They take care of these sorts of incidents with run amok creatures" explained Stella upon seeing Bloom's inquisitive look. "But I haven't brought my phone book, so instead, I'll be calling a friend of mine who is training at the Red Fountain Academy. Then he should be able to get the info to them". She began going through her bag again and said: "You just go in. I'll be with you in just a moment".

Nodding, Bloom carefully lowered herself into the postcard. Letting go of the edge, she suddenly found herself standing in a large courtyard. The sun was shining and a blue, cloudless sky covered the heaven. That was except for the large square straight above Blooms head that instead showed her room. As the redhead looked around, she found herself more and more amazed. The courtyard was covered in flagstone, small ornamental vases and large beds of flowers where scattered around, green benches where placed with regular intervals and old timey lanterns hung from iron poles. As she continued to turn around, feeling like she was about to get dizzy from amazement, she saw the majestic buildings surrounding the plaza. Tall, old looking buildings made from stone rose up into towers and parapets. They enclosed her on almost all sides, covered in royal blue roof tiles.

"Sorry for the wait" said Stella as she dropped in. "He said he would immediately take care of it".

"It's amazing" squeed Bloom, giddily jumping from foot to foot. "This is like something out of a fantasy. Except, you say it's real?".

"Well, it was pretty real last school year. Can't see why it would suddenly stop" said Stella. "Anyway the real thing is much more amazing, because there's actual life, physical objects can be moved and watch OUT" she suddenly cried out. Bloom, who had started to jog over to investigate a flowerpot, looked back over her shoulder, only to smack into something hard and flat.

"As I was about to say" continued Stella as she rushed over to help the fallen Bloom back on her feet. "The real deal doesn't have invisible walls".

"Sounds great" wheezed Bloom.

...

"Well, there has always been some mystery surrounding her" said Vanessa to her worriedly pacing husband.

"Yeah, but magic?" he said. "I mean, I am convinced it exists now, after having that pop up here" he continued, while giving the banana, which was now lying on the kitchen counter, the pointy finger. "But why haven't she shown any signs before, if she really is magical?".

"Maybe she has and we've never noticed. Maybe magical people only manifest in their late teens. Who knows, it's not like we have anything to go by on this" said Vanessa with a shrug.

"And what if she has magic? Do we then have to send her off to some sort of wizard school where they learn to fly brooms and turn peoples' phones into bananas?" he said pacing back and forth.

"Maybe we should talk with this Stella about it" said Vanessa. "She's the only one who...". Whatever else she would have said drowned in the resounding crash as their back door was knocked off its hinges. The two of them froze as they saw the massive shape of Knut the ogre lumber into the house.

"Knock, knock" he growled, as imps started crawling into the house, clinging to the walls and ceiling. "I tracked an annoying blonde girl to this house. Her name is Stella. So if you could bring her here, that would be great".

"You" Mike said, placing himself between the terrifying creatures and his wife. "You're the creature Bloom described".

"Possibly" said the hulking figure with a shrug. Then he took a heavy step into the house. "Now where is Stella?" The imps started to crawl closer, hissing and showing of their needle-like teeth.

"I'm warning you, stay back" said Mike. "I got a...". He desperately grasped at the counter, trying to find something to defend himself with. "I got a ba... oh not this thing again" he sputtered as he noticed he was threatening a several ton heavyweight ogre with a banana. He threw it away and grabbed a chair instead.

"Last chance, human" growled Knut. "Blonde girl. Now".

"Leave my house. Now" Mike growled back.

"Have it your way" muttered the ogre annoyed, then barked an order. Two imps launched themselves at Mike, but were knocked out of the air as he splintered the chair against their fragile forms, sending them flying into a cupboard, resulting in several dishes crashing to the floor. Another imp went for his leg, but the blond sent it flying past its master with a well aimed kick to the chin. Several more of the imps crawled closer, hissing and growling Another suddenly jumped on the kitchen table and prepared to leap at Mike, but was suddenly knocked off the table by a well aimed vase.

"Good throw my dear" said Mike as he continued to back away from the advancing monsters.

"Thanks, but that was the only one I got" she said.

The two of them found themselves being pressed against the back end of the kitchen, the imps encircling them, though now a bit more careful in their approach.

"Last chance. The blonde girl" barked Knut.

"Over here" sounded Stella's voice.

Knut turned to the left, only to have a ball of radiance explode in his face.

He roared and stumbled backwards, then yelled orders to his imps, who immediately forgot everything about Mike and Vanessa and instead ran to the living room.

"Bloom, do you think you can pull off that flame thing again?" asked Stella as she transformed her ring back into a staff.

"Even if I could I am not burning my parent's house down" answered Bloom, as she watched several imps crawl into the room. She grabbed a lamp and prepared to fend off the advancing beasts, when the doorway into the room was pulverised by a charging Knut. "I'M TIRED OF MESSING AROUND WITH YOU" roared the furious ogre, aiming for Stella. As she threw herself to the side, Knut crashed into the family's television with the force of a runaway freight train, splintering the electronic device and the table it stood on.

Meanwhile, Bloom found herself harried by the imps on all sides, the beings surrounding her, trying to find an opening. She swung the lamp to the best of her ability but found herself lacking space to proberly fight in the living room. An imp leaped for her and she tried to dodge to the side but stumbled over a fold in the carpet, earning her three bleeding gashes in her shoulder as the creature flew past her.

"LEAVE MY DAUGHTER ALONE" roared her dad from the opening into the kitchen and started to hurl whatever he could after the creatures that where attacking his kid. Several of the imps immediately switched focus as knick-knacks and kitchen inventory was thrown after them, all set to the pounding symphony of Knut trying to hit Stella, who was jumping around the room trying to stay out of reach of the angry ogre.

¨DAD, WATCH OUT" yelled Bloom, as she suddenly noticed an imp sneaking up on the side of her father. Mike only just managed to turn towards the threat, before the beast sprang directly into his stomach with surprising force, sending the big guy stumbling back into the kitchen.

Horrified, Bloom smashed one imp into the floor with the lamp and leaped over another, which still managed claw another set of gashes in her legs. None the less Bloom managed to stumble into the kitchen.

There, her dad was lying on the floor, holding the frenzied imp away from his face with one hand as he tried to grasp for a weapon with his other hand.

The imp hissed, clawing bloody gashes in his arm, but was silenced when Mike jammed a banana down its throat. The diminutive beast immediately gave up its attempted face shredding and instead focused on removing the foreign ex-phone that had been lodged in its throat. Mike took the chance to get up and with a resounding crack brought his foot down on its back. As the beast dissolved, he remarked: "Never would have guessed that thing would come in handy".

"GOT YOU" sounded a guttural roar from the living room. Bloom turned around and saw to her horror that Knut had gotten his massive fists around Stella's torso. "Now I'll take tHEAAARRGGG!" roared the ogre, as Stella fired a concentrated beam of light directly into his eye. Howling in pain, he hurled the blonde through air, sending her crashing through a window into the front garden.

"Stella" yelped Bloom and leaped over a pair of imps while running for the front door. Outside, Stella lay crumbled on the grass, surrounded by pieces of broken glass. Several pieces had lodged themselves in her back and blood began staining her clothes. Bloom rushed to her side and tried to help her up. And then the front of the house exploded.

Bloom stumbled back with the almost unconscious Stella in hand, as the massive ogre stomped out towards them, with a murderous glint in his remaining eye. He towered over Bloom and growled two words: "Staff. Now". Several imps where flanking him, ready to pounce upon the redhead. And then a grenade landed beside them. Knut barely had time to register it before it went off, sending several imps flying into the air and forcing the ogre back, which resulted in him crushing another imp under his foot.

"How about you surrender now" sounded an unfamiliar voice and Bloom glared in shock. Four young men in blue and white full body uniforms with capes had suddenly shown up. One was a bit lanky, had messy auburn hair and was brandishing a tube like gun, that was still smoking from having launched the grenade. Another had shoulder long blond hair, fair skin and was brandishing a long sword. Besides him stood a guy with a bit of a tan and short brown hair, with a broadsword resting on his shoulder. The last had incredible spiky magenta hair and was impatiently swinging a sabre back and forth like a pendulum. Bloom noticed that the blades where glowing slightly, as if somehow energized.

"Are you two okay?" yelled the brown haired guy.

"Took them long enough" mumbled Stella groggily.

"Somewhat" Bloom yelled back.

"Good, just stay that way. We'll handle this" yelled the blonde.

Knut roared and his remaining four imps surged forward. The magenta haired guy stepped forward and separated one imp's body from its head with a precision swing of his blade. He followed up the momentum of his swing and turned it into a fierce kick that send another imp backwards. Two imps jumped for the blonde, who with a quick manoeuvre skewered one imp with his blade and then dodged the other so it landed behind him, where it was quickly cloven by the brown haired guy's blade. The last imp rose from the grass, hissed and was blown to kingdom come by the bespectacled young man, who had calmly reloaded the grenade launcher while the others slaughtered the other imps.

Knut roared in a mix of anger and frustration and charged the caped rescuers. He tried hitting the blond with a blow that would have pulverised him, if he hadn't danced to the side with an ease that came from many years experience, rewarding the ogre for its attack with a powerful slash to his side. Knut roared and turned to crush his opponent but fell to his knees as the sabre wielding warrior used the distraction to slice open the back of his legs. The brown haired guy rushed forward and planted the pommel of his blade into the ogre's face, crushing his nose. The hulking humanoid roared as his sensitive nose was splintered and lashed out with his massive arms.

"Everyone, back away now" yelled the orange haired guy, who had once more reloaded his gun. The three others jumped away and the bespectacled warrior took aim. Knut's remaining eye widened in realization of what was about to happen and he held up his arms to protect himself. With a resounding explosion he was launched backwards where he landed heavily on the ground. Slowly, he rose up again, coughing. His hand had been ruined and three fingers had been blown clear off. He snorted in anger and pain and then disappeared in a flash.

"Where did he go?" said the blond.

"Something called a gate ring" answered Bloom. "Now please, help me get her inside". The four guys rushed over and carefully helped bring the wounded Stella inside. Bloom looked around and noticed that lights had gone on all over the neighbourhood. There was no way people had not heard their scuffle.

Inside, Vanessa was already bandaging her husband's arm. As she saw the six people enter the ruined living room she immediately ran for Bloom and hugged her tightly.

"I was so worried" she whispered, close to tears. Then Mike enveloped them both in a massive hug. After a few seconds, the parents let go of their daughter and turned towards the caped rescuers. "Thank you so much for saving my daughter. If there's anything we can do to repay you..." started Mike, but was interrupted when the magenta haired warrior said: "If you could just help me patch up Stella here, that will be fine".

"Shouldn't we bring her to the hospital?" asked Vanessa concerned, eyeing the blonde's back.

"I got this" said magenta haired warrior and pulled a small purple flask from his utility belt. "A combination of a healing potion and a dissolving potion. It will melt the glass, which will then be pushed out of her wounds as they heal. None the less, she will still need to rest a day or two so as to not reopen her wounds, so if you can keep her here, that would help".

"Sure. It's the least we can do" answered Vanessa with a nod.

As the two of them began fixing up Stella, the others turned to Bloom.

"So, you're Bloom. Stella told us about you" said the blond. "I'm Brandon, squire of Prince Skye here" he said, pointing at the brown haired guy with his thumb.

"And my name's Timmy" said the guy with glasses. "The guy fixing up Stella over there is Riven".

"Are you guys the ones Stella contacted?" asked Bloom curiously.

"Yeah, me, her and Brandon here are old acquaintances" said Skye. "But he kinda forgot to mention that when Stella was in trouble, he meant that there was an ogre after her. Honestly, I'm surprised the others didn't get here first".

"What others?" asked Brandon in confusion.

After a short pause, Timmy said with a sigh: "Did you even contact the staff? Did you even contact anyone but us?".

"Well, uhm, no, I kinda figured we had to hurry" said Brandon while rubbing his neck.

"Geez" sighed Timmy annoyed and pinched his nose. "I figured that when you said trouble it meant she needed a lift or something. You are so lucky we brought our equipment".

"I.. even told him... to call the professionals" said Stella groggily as Riven and Vanessa finished bandaging her back.

"Everyone okay in there?" sounded a worried yell from outside.

"Great, the neighbours" said Mike.

"And that's our cue to leave" said Skye. "Look, we heard from Stella that this place isn't connected to the rest of the multiverse, so we'll try to see if we can't send something to help you with the repairs. Until then, just make something up and keep Stella hidden. I'm not sure this will be the best way to introduce your world to magic".

"I'm inclined to agree" grumbled Mike as he surveyed his broken home. "Alright, you guys can leave. Bloom, Vanessa, get the girl upstairs. I'll tell them that... well, not sure yet" he said as he headed outside.

...

As Bloom and her mother carefully placed Stella on the mattress, she tiredly said: "Sorry for all the trouble I brought with me".

"Not your fault" said Vanessa. "You just get some sleep now".

"Is the magical world always like this?" asked Bloom.

"If it involved that much being hurled around by ogres every day, I would probably just have locked myself in my room" said Stella and winced. "By the way, I know we've been kinda busy, what with the whole ogre imp combo attack, but have you thought about what I said?". When she saw Bloom's nonplussed look, she clarified: "About Alfea. I still think you got potential".

Bloom looked at her mom, who just sighed and said: "We'll talk it through tomorrow. You two just get some rest".


	2. Welcome to Alfea

Chapter 2: Welcome to Alfea

The next morning, Bloom went downstairs and found her dad talking with a very official looking person.

"So, let me get this straight. A group of teens on their way to a party mistook your house for the party place and managed to do all this...," he said, making a sweeping arm gesture at the carnage, "before they found out they had to be elsewhere? And you have no idea who they are or where to find them. Did I get that right?"

"Would it be more believable if I said an ogre had crashed through my house while hunting a fairy and then had a showdown with four teen superheroes?" asked Mike with a raised eyebrow.

"Almost," said the man with a chuckle. "Well, none the less, your insurance should cover. This would fit under vandalism. Give us a day or two and we'll have somebody over to help fix the walls".

"Much appreciated," said Mike, with a courteous nod.

As the guy left, Mike sat down in an unbroken chair and said with a sigh: "Really don't like lying".

"Well, what that thing did was vandalism, so it's not like the insurance shouldn't cover," offered Vanessa.

"I know, I know. Still..." Mike looked up and noticed his daughter, which brought a small smile to his face. "Hey there Bloom. How's your fairy friend?"

"Sleeping and snoring without a care in the world," answered Bloom.

"Good, that's good," said her dad, and then stared at his feet for a couple of seconds. "So, that school your friend mentioned. Does it interest you?"

Bloom bit her lips for a moment, thinking. "Well," she said slowly, as if admitting something she wasn't sure was entirely okay. "I've always dreamed of stuff like this. Magic, fairies and stuff. I mean, this kinda ended up being a bit too much," she admitted, throwing a glance at the ruined walls. "But besides that, yeah, it sounds interesting. I mean, magic powers, I never thought something like that would happen".

Her parents gave each other a look that Bloom suspected managed to transfer large amounts of information.

"Look, when Stella feels better, she can bring us to this school and we can talk with the people in charge there," said Vanessa. "And if everything seems okay, then we'll support you if you want to enrol".  
"REALLY?" yelped Bloom, her face lighting up like firework. She flew down the stairs and almost knocked her mother to the ground as the redhead gave her a massive hug.

"Careful now, or you'll snap me in half," chuckled Vanessa.

Bloom just looked up at her with a beaming smile, small tears of joy forming at the edge of her eyes.

"I hate to be the one to ruin the mood," said Mike with a hint of discomfort. "But Bloom, please remember that we know nothing of that place yet and that it may not live up to your expectations".

"Of course, of course," said his daughter while drying her eyes. "It's just that... I've always wanted to see stuff like this. Dreamed of meeting a fairy or an elf or something like that. And now there's just so much of it and I get to be part of it and it's so amazing and I have magic..."

"Breathe, Bloom, breathe," said her mother quickly as the redhead sharply inhaled. "How about we go make some breakfast and then we can talk with Stella about it afterwards and see what she has to say about it".

"Sounds like a good idea. In the meantime I guess I'll do a little cleaning in here," said Mike and looked around. "This place looks like a war zone".

"Okay. Yeah. We can do that," said Bloom, face still lit up in an enormous smile, as she and her mom left for the kitchen.

Mike looked around for a place to start, sighed and just started picking unbroken stuff up from the floor. He was in the middle of placing books back on shelves when he heard a soft yet authoritative: "Good morning, good sir". The blond whirled around and was surprised by the presence of a middle aged man with shoulder length scarlet hair and dressed in formal black attire standing in the hole that used to be the front door.

"Can I help you?" asked Mike slowly.

"Yes, I have been sent to investigate the incident that befell your home yesterday at around eight in the evening," said the man and took a step inside. "I've read the official report of course, run amok teenagers, but we decided to interview the people that witnessed the event. Which of course would include you," said the man while studying the edges of the hole.

"Yeah, it was some rather crazy business," said Mike, unsure what to make of the man.

"Indeed. A couple of your neighbours reported explosive sounds and bright flashes?" questioned the man.

"My guess is that it was fireworks," said Mike.

"That would be a logical guess, yes. But the question that has us most puzzled is how these teenagers manage to do such damage to the walls of the house," continued the man, stroking his chin as he inspected the jagged edges.

"Beats me. Maybe they were high on something. Nowadays there's all these crazy street drugs and drinks and whatnot," said Mike, trying to look natural. As the man looked him in the eyes, Mike got the distinct impression that it wasn't working.

"Mr Peterson, is there anything you're not divulging?" asked the man.

"Why would I do that?" asked Mike with a raised eyebrow.

The red haired man let his fingertips rest against each other as he continued: "Sometimes during a crisis people experience things they just can't accept afterwards for an uncountable number of reasons. Nevertheless, please, you have nothing to worry about. Even the slightest bit of information, no matter how outlandish or ludicrous it might seem, could help us find out what happened".

"Sorry, I just don't have anything else to add to what I've already said," Mike said with an apologetic shrug.

"Very well," sighed the man and Mike felt strangely guilty over having lied to him. "I'll be interviewing your neighbours for the rest of the day, so if you remember anything, do not hesitate to contact me. Have a pleasant day". The he tipped his head in a goodbye and walked outside again.

"Who was that?" asked Vanessa from the remains of the kitchen door.

"That was..." started Mike, suddenly realising he never got a name. "Some investigation guy," he tried.

"Huh. Well, can hardly blame them for being curious. Teenage flash mob wrecks house, that's the kind of thing that's bound to attract attention," said Vanessa. "Anyway, breakfast is almost ready, could you be dear and see if Stella is awake?"

"Sure," answered Mike and headed for the stairs.

...

"So what exactly can you tell us about this magic school of yours?" asked Mike as Stella gingerly lowered herself into a chair.

"It's called Alfea," said Stella. "Or the Alfea Institute of Fairy Magic if you, like, wanna be really formal".

"Yes, yes, but how does things work there?" clarified Mike.

"You go to class, practice magic, learn stuff, get a buncha homework and then spent the rest of the time hanging out with your friends or something," said Stella as if she was unsure of what they wanted from her.

"Sounds surprisingly much like how it works around here," commented Bloom.

"I wouldn't know," admitted Stella with a shrug while placing a pancake on her dish. "Look, as I said to Bloom, I am totally not the right gal to be asking this. You should have a chat with Faragonda. She can probably answer all of your questions".

"And give us the price tag," mumbled Mike.

"So, when can you take us there?" asked Bloom eagerly.

"Probably after breakfast, though I am a bit uncertain. I expected to be recharged after a night's sleep, but let me tell you, I still feel tots drained," sighed Stella as she cut a piece of her pancake. "It's like the magic around here is so thin and strained".

"Probably why there aren't people running around doing genuine magic tricks like what you can do," speculated Vanessa.

"I dunno. Again, Faragonda's your best bet for getting some answers," repeated Stella. "By the way this flatcake is delicious. Though a bit fluffier than I'm used to".

...

As breakfast was finished, the Peterson family and Stella gathered in the living room.

"Sure you don't want to rest a day more or something," asked Vanessa. "I mean, you were beat up pretty badly".

"Nurse at school will fix that in a jiffy," said Stella and transformed her ring into a staff. "Besides, even if I mess up again, the protection spells on this mean we won't land anywhere where we won't be able to survive for at least a minute".

"Comforting," grumbled Mike with an eye roll.

"Alright, here goes," said Stella and scrunched her face in a look of constipated concentration.

A couple of awkward moments in silence passed.

"You know, it's okay if you want to wait until tom..." started Bloom, but was interrupted by the unfamiliar feeling of getting turned inside out through a magical gateway. Colours flashed before her eyes, dizziness engulfed her brain and she felt like she had turned into a spiral being pulled into a drain. And then with a flash, she was standing on solid ground in the middle of a pine forest.

"Well, my aim was a bit off, but it should just be a short walk from here," said Stella with satisfaction.

Bloom smiled weakly and gave her a thumbs up, then promptly puked into a nearby bush.

"Somebody stop the world, I want out," sounded the muffled voice of Mike who had faceplanted into the ground.

"I'll just be sitting over here until I only have one husband and one daughter again," said Vanessa, who sat in the grass, while rubbing her temples to combat the headache that had hit her.

"Oh yeah, sorry. Transdimensional travel can be a bit overwhelming the first couple of times," said Stella with an embarrassed smile as she fingered her hair. "Probably should have thought of that".

Mike, who was slowly trying to get up, spat out some dirt and said: "Gee, you think?"

"Okay, I think I'm done seeing triple for now," said Vanessa, supporting herself against a nearby tree. "Bloom dearie, how are you feeling?"

"Queasy," coughed Bloom. "Also... pardon my French but my mouth taste like crap".

"Sorry," winced Stella uncomfortably. "Seriously, I am so, so sorry, I just keep forgetting you're all totally new to this".

"It's okay," gasped Bloom as she finally felt her stomach realign. "Happens to the best of us".

"So are we close to this school of yours?" asked Mike.

"Yes, I recognise this place. Popular nature trail in the area. Ten minutes walking, tops," explained Stella and began walking. "It's just this way".

Vanessa took a step forward and then stumbled, only to be caught by her husband.

"Or I guess we could wait a teensy bit until you're ready," said Stella while wringing her hands and trying not to look the disorientated family in the eyes.

...

As the group made their way down the dusty path, the majestic towers of Alfea could be seen above the tree line. Bloom almost began giddily skipping along the road, all thoughts of dizziness and upset stomachs exorcised from her mind by the prospect of becoming a fairy. As they finally made it out of the forest, which connected to a massive cobblestone road, they could finally get a good look at Alfea.

"It's just like in the postcard," exclaimed Bloom in an almost high pitched voice.

"Careful, don't salivate all over the nice fairies Disneyland castle" warned her mother in a stern voice.

"Mooom. You're ruining the moment," pouted Bloom.

Alfea was arranged like a square, with massive castle like buildings on three sides and a wall on the fourth in which there was a wrought iron gate.

"Cobblestone road, stone buildings, lanterns," mumbled Bloom's dad as they passed into the courtyard. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be insulting, but isn't this just a little bit..." he paused, trying to find the nicest way to put it. "Old?" he tried.

"Ugh, tell me about it," sighed Stella. "The road alone can be a nightmare for my shoes, but the cars don't care and the castleish look is considered traditional. Don't be fooled though, the lanterns are magical" she explained, pointing at one. "So they give plenty of light. There aren't even candles in them if you look. Though if you ask me, a fresh coat of paint would totally help on this place".

"Hmm, interesting," mumbled Mike.

As the group made their way past a stone well in the middle of the courtyard, they saw a woman approach them from what Bloom assumed was the front entrance. She was a tall, thin brunette with a simple hairstyle and glasses to match. In her hand, she held a clipboard and in the other a pencil which she was twirling impatiently. She had a stern look on her face that made her look like somebody only a fool would cross willingly.

"Miss Guildenstern, at last you deign to make your appearance. Next time you decide to stay home a day more than planned, would you kindly give us mere mortals a warning?" she asked in a cold and sharp voice.

Stella chuckled a bit and rubbed her neck. "Actually," she said. "I was kinda, sorta waylaid. By an ogre. So that's why I am late".

"At least it's a new one," mumbled the woman with an eye roll.

"No, really, it happened," said Stella. "You can contact Red Fountain. I gave them a call".

"And you didn't call us because?" asked the woman with a raised eyebrow.

Stella seemed to stiffen a bit, then sighed and admitted: "I forgot".

"Well, if what you're saying is true, and I will be giving Red Fountain a call over this, then I suppose I can hardly blame you for such a mistake," said the woman and rubbed her chin. "Very well, no disciplinary actions will be taken, but if I find out you have lied to me, you'll wish you really had met an ogre". She shifted focus from Stella to the Peterson family. "And you are?"

"Mike Peterson," answered Bloom's dad. "Stella here told us about this school and since we just recently found out our girl here had magic, that is, found out yesterday, we wanted to hear about enrolment opportunities".

"You only found out yesterday?" asked the woman sceptically. "She looks to be in her late teens, how could you overlook it?"

"Environment?" suggested Stella.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Well, I had so much trouble recovering my magic that you wouldn't believe it and most first time magic is accidental, so since there isn't much magic to go around where you come from, maybe it was only because Bloom was in mortal danger she managed to trigger her magic," explained Stella.

"Mortal danger?" asked the woman. "Miss Guildenstern, what exactly have you been up to?"

"It was completely accidental, I swear," said Stella defensively.

"So was blowing up the alchemy lab," mumbled the woman.

"See, I tried to gate away from the ogre and then ran into Bloom here on..." she stopped for a bit. "The planet Dirt?" she asked Bloom.

"Earth, actually," clarified the redhead.

This made the stern woman make a strange choked sound and her eyes widened a fair bit. "You're from where?" she asked in a mix of astonishment and horror.

"Earth," said Vanessa, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Miss Guildenstern, you can go to your room, same as last year," ordered the woman. "You three, follow me. We'll have the headmistress sort this out".

"Good luck," offered Stella as the Peterson family was led away by the woman.

"That's the kind of reaction you want when you mention your home. Complete horror," grumbled Mike as they entered the main hall, a beautiful room with pillars and tapestries.

"I apologise, but I had not expected this," said the woman. "The headmistress will explain it all, once we have verified the claim".

"Yes, on that note, who are you?" asked the blond as they ascended the stairs.

"Miss Susanne Griselda, deputy headmistress of Alfea," she answered. "And I am not sure about how tradition is where you come from, but here on Magix, the name of the planet," she clarified as she saw the questioning look the Petersons' gave her, "it is considered respectful to refer to people of authority by their last name unless you're of equal or higher authority".

"So, miss Griselda then?" asked Vanessa, earning her an approving nod from the stern woman.

As they made their way up yet another flight of stairs, Mike asked: "So do you even have elevators around here?"

"Stairs are considered good for the students' health," explained Griselda. "Magic has a habit of making people forget to use their bodies, so we try to encourage it whenever possible".

"Sounds sensible enough I guess," said Mike with a shrug. "How about you two, can you handle it?" He looked over his shoulders at his wife and daughter, who were starting to struggle a bit.

"We're doing just fine my dear," answered Vanessa a bit short of breath. "Just being reminded that I'm not as young as I used to be".

As they finally reached the top, they found themselves before an impressive double door. Griselda gave it a couple of knocks and the voice of an older woman said: "Come in".

Griselda opened the door and the group found themselves in an office. Shelves filled with books stood at either side, a fireplace spread warmth into the room and an impressive desk with an equally impressive chair stood before a massive window. In the chair sat an elderly woman with short and curly grey hair, horn-rimmed glasses and a blue vest with a pinkish ruffled shirt underneath. She was currently in the process of going through a number of papers on her desk, though she had put them aside to focus on her guests. She gave the group a warm smile and asked: "What can I do for you, Susanne?"

"Miss Faragonda, Princess Stella Guildenstern has arrived, though that's the least of it. We have a newly discovered magi here and if their claims are true, they are from Earth".

The warm and grandmotherly look on Faragonda's face was immediately replaced by one of deep concern.

"Okay, I think we have waited long enough for an explanation," said Mike loudly to get attention. "Why exactly is mentioning the name of our planet roughly the equivalent of saying 'oh by the way, I got a bomb in the house' around these parts?"

Griselda cleared her throat and said: "If you'll excuse me headmistress, I have a call to make. I need to make certain Stella's story is true".

Faragonda nodded and the deputy left the room. The elderly woman then refocused her attention on the Petersons, folded her hands and asked: "Does the term "The Black Circle" mean anything to you?"

"I guess you're not just referring to any circle that is black," said Vanessa.

"No, I am not," said Faragonda with a slight shake of her head. "Over a thousand years ago, there existed in your world a kingdom of fairies, the Kingdom of the White Circle, back when magic was much more common in your world. The Black Circle was a coven of humans who learned how to steal powers from faeries, and they started a terrible and bloody war with the Kingdom of the White Circle. The fairies lost and the Black Circle managed to extinguish magic in your world by hunting down magi, not only fairies, but also witches and warlocks. Ever since then, your world has been cut off from the rest of the worlds, for fear that the Black Circle might attempt to wage a similar campaign against other worlds. All gates to your world was shut down". Faragonda sighed. "Occasionally, someone attempts to go to Earth, but in most cases they either come running back or completely disappear. We have no reason to believe the Black Circle doesn't still exists".

"And what does that mean?" asked Mike.

Faragonda looked him straight in the eyes.

"It means, where your daughter to return home, she would be in grave danger. The Circle have ways to track down magi. Any use of magic, even accidental, could lead them to her".

"But why didn't they come after that whole battle with the ogre?" asked Vanessa.

"Maybe they did," said Mike with a worried look on his face. "Think about it, they probably wouldn't run around in pointy hats and capes. They would probably look like us. It could be any number of officials who investigated the incident".

"Do the two of you have any magical powers?" asked Faragonda concerned.

"No, not as far as I know?" answered Mike.

"If that is the case you will probably be safe, although I advice caution. As for Bloom, it will be in her best interest to stay here. Even if she decides not to enrol in Alfea, we have contacts to other schools and we can help her find the one that fits her," explained Faragonda.

"Very well," answered Mike, adjusting his collar. He glanced at Bloom, who had gone a bit pale. "What can you tell me about your school?"

"We teach people how to utilize positive energy, harnessing magic by using good memories and feelings," explained Faragonda. "We have a staff of well respected teachers with years of experience as well as a hand-picked support staff, all from a dozen different worlds. The training takes place over five years. We offer guidance and help when it comes to employment opportunities. Food and student apartments are part of enrolment and the capital of Magix is not far from here, providing opportunities for shopping, eating out and other such activities. Parents are expected to provide pocket money in most cases, but we will get to that in a moment," said Faragonda immediately when she noticed the parents' expressions. "There are two other schools in the area, the Military Academy of Red Fountain and the Cloud Tower Institute for Witches. Our schools have get togethers of various kinds over the year and cross school friends are free to visit one another in the weekends".

"I don't think a military academy is something for me," said Bloom. "What about witches? What's the difference between them and fairies?"

"Witches use magic by drawing upon negative energy, calling upon personal trauma and unhappiness to allow them to do magic. It is noticeable harder than being a fairy," explained Faragonda. "There are of course other schools on other worlds, such as the Beta Academy, though they are rather exclusive and the Marigold School of Survival, which is very much like a military academy. There's a couple of more around, but I can hardly remember them all. Old age," she chuckled as she looked through her desk. "I do however have brochures somewhere".

"You know, I think I'll stick to Alfea," said Bloom. "Besides, Stella's here so that will be nice".

"Already made a friend?" asked Faragonda with a kind smile.

"Yeah, well, battling an ogre has a way of bringing people together," said the redhead with a smile and a chuckle.

"Oh, I quite agree. Dragons are also good for that," said the elderly lady with a nostalgic glint in her eyes.

"Wait, you have dragons? No, wait, you have fought a dragon? No, wait, first question first..." tried Bloom, but her dad interrupted with a: "I have two concerns before we or Bloom sign anything".

"Yes?" asked the headmistress.

"First off, as for pocket money and admittance fee, I doubt our money will work around here," said Mike.

"Well, I'm sure the Alfea Scholarship Program can help you," said the elderly lady with a wave of her hand. "Normally we draw upon it to help poor students and since you have no money that would be of any worth to us, I would say it counts. She will also gain pocket money from it over the years".

"Right. Sounds good. Second concern. Bloom, in fact, all of us was introduced to all, well, all this," said Mike with a gesture towards the window, "only yesterday. Will Bloom in any way be disadvantaged when it comes to studying?"

"People come from all over the worlds to study at Alfea and that results in quite a fluctuating level of education. Some are home schooled, some have gone to public school and others have never gone to school at all. First semester is dedicated to making sure everyone is on the same page. However, if Bloom starts lacking behind, extra tuition can easily be offered if necessary. She wouldn't be the first student with a lack of knowledge about magic".

"Right. Well, Bloom. It's your choice," said Vanessa, turning to her daughter.

"Well, in that case, I say yes," said Bloom with a smile.

"Excellent. You will of course be welcome to stay on the school until school opens proberly in two days from now. I'll take care of the necessary paperwork," said Faragonda with a smile. "Now, as I assume you wish to remain in contact with your parents, we can give you a one line phone," she said to Bloom's parents. "It will only be able to contact Bloom and me. The rest of the time it will be completely inert and even when used, the magic it radiates is so low that even experienced magi only notice it when using it".

"Do you think it could be in the shape of a banana?" asked Vanessa, which caused Mike to exclaim: "Absolutely not". Any further banter was interrupted by a knock on the doors.

"Come in," said the headmistress and Griselda entered.

"I've contacted Red Fountain. Stella did indeed report an ogre attack and four students of theirs encountered the beast in person," she reported. "A fact that some higher ups where less than happy with, I was told. Which also confirms their story," she added, indicating the Petersons with a slight gesture of her hand.

"Good. Could you bring me the paperwork for student admittance and Alfea Scholarship support while I finish up with the Petersons?" asked the headmistress.

Griselda gave a respectful nod and headed out the door.

"Now then, while we wait for her to bring us the necessary paperwork, was there anything else you'd like to know?" asked Faragonda.

"Do you... do you think I could get my stuff brought over here?" asked Bloom. "I mean, I understand if it's dangerous and not possible, but I have a couple of things. Like Kiko, would really like to have Kiko here, so if there is any way, then it would...". "Bloom, breathe" interrupted her mom with a worried glance. The young girl paused and suddenly found herself quite out of breath. "Sorry, I ramble sometimes," she said with a sheepish smile and quite visible blush.

"It's okay," said the headmistress kindly. "I cannot make any promises, but I'll see what I can do. I know some people who might be able to pull something like this off without being noticeable".

"Thanks," said Bloom with an earnest smile. "So, now what?"

"Now I make a few calls while you get escorted to your new room. I guess you'd prefer to be somewhere close to your new friend," said the headmistress while sorting through papers.

"That would be nice," admitted Bloom.

"Hmm, in that case, you're in luck. There's a room available in the same cluster as hers. That is, students live in an apartment most often shared with another student of the same year. And said apartment shares a common room with two other apartments, which we try to fill with students of the same year, but since students retain their apartments during their education, odds are that the years get somewhat mixed up," explained Faragonda.

The door opened once again and Griselda strode into the room with measured steps. She handed Faragonda a couple of text heavy papers that the aged headmistress immediately scanned.

"Well, all you need to do now is sign here and here," said Faragonda and turned the papers over to the Petersons.

"I'll be the judge of that," said Mike and started reading through the papers. "Hmm, seems fair enough. So long as there is nothing written in extremely small font or something". Griselda snorted derisively at that comment. "Very well, it's up to you Bloom," finished the blond and handed the papers and a pen to his daughter. The redhead nodded and signed her name on the dotted lines.

"Excellent. Now, Susanne, would you be so kind as to escort Bloom to her apartment. I need to call in a few favours," said Faragonda while walking over to her phone on a nearby table.

"As you wish," said Griselda with a nod. "Follow me".

...

As the group walked down the hall, Bloom felt her neck get sore as she constantly strained it to catch sight of everything. Around every corner was a new painting, piece of decoration or open door into a new room that ignited her curiosity. But after a few minutes of this, she started to notice something she just couldn't ignore.

"Why aren't there more people around?" she asked the deputy headmistress.

"Maintaining the school during summer vacation requires very little oversight. Mostly it's just me and the schools pixies, but headmistress Faragonda and our chef, librarian and nurse check in once in a while to make sure supplies are maintained and everything is in order. Which they are most of the time," she added with a hint of pride.

"You have pixies?" asked Bloom, mouth agape.

"Yes, bound to this area. They help make the day to day operations and the enchantments in place on the school run smoothly. They are a great help," answered the deputy.

"So, do you live here Miss Griselda?" asked Vanessa.

"All teachers live here due to the nature of the school, but to answer the intent of your question, yes, I have permanent residence at Alfea," answered Griselda as she lead the group down another corridor. Bloom found herself wondering if they would be given maps of this place.

"Doesn't that get lonely?" asked Mike.

"Not at all. After an entire year of rambunctious students running in the halls, casting spells behind the teachers backs and having one loud party after another, a month or three of almost complete silence is just what I need," said Griselda. "Not that I think badly of our school or our students, but teenagers and young adults are quite the handfuls".

"Ain't that the truth," said Mike sagely and nodded, earning him an elbow in the side from his daughter.

After a few more minutes of walking, Griselda let them to a red tinted door. She turned towards Bloom and handed her a key. "It opens both the common rooms and your apartment. Try not to lose it" she said. Then she turned and opened the door.

The room beyond was surprisingly normal in Bloom's eyes. Two green sofas surrounding a coffee table, a television in one end, some potted plants, a book shelf and a rug. Behind a desk, there was a small kitchen.

"Bloom. Tots awesome to see you here" sounded a familiar voice. Bloom turned and saw Stella walk over towards them, although she looked a lot more vibrant and energetic than she had before.

"Stella, how are you feeling?" asked the redhead.

"Much better. Visited the nurse and got myself fixed up. Totally needed that after all that messy business we've been through," said Stella with a dramatic sigh. "By the way, I seriously need your advice on something. I'm trying to design a new dress and I want your opinion on the colour scheme".

Bloom looked at her parents, but Vanessa just said: "It's okay. We'll be here with Griselda".

The redhead smiled and followed Stella into her apartment while the blonde mused about the train of thoughts behind her colour choice.

"Well, now that I have you alone for a moment, I need to ask you about your family," said Griselda suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Oh, sure, what specifically?" questioned Mike with a raised eyebrow.

"It's obvious none of you are magi of any kind, but magic runs in the blood. It has probably just been suppressed in your bloodline due to the low ambient magic. So I need to ask you, has any of your ancestors ever done anything that could be attributed to magic?" asked Griselda, holding her clipboard and pen ready.

"Yeah, see, about that, I doubt Bloom has it from us," said Vanessa. When she saw Griselda's quizzical look, she added: "Bloom is adopted. We have no idea who her real parents are. She was abandoned in a rented office complex and my husband ran across her when he was putting out a fire in the building".

"I see, that does make tracking her bloodline difficult," mused Griselda thoughtfully while tapping the pen. "Though I guess it also means that your family is relatively safe from the Black Circle. Does she know this?"

"We had a talk with her... about a decade or so ago, give or take a couple of years," said Mike while rubbing his chin. "Never seemed to bother her. In fact, she used to brag about how while her class mates where send by stork or found in a cabbage patch, she was pulled out of a burning building by her father".

"I see. I will have to inform the other teachers and staff about this," explained Griselda. "As for the other students, that will be your daughter's prerogative. Anything else you'd like to note".

"She gets stressed very easily," said Vanessa. "Has a tendency to drive herself nuts if not stopped".

"Thank you," said Griselda as she jotted down notes. "Anything else? No? In that case, we will take this information into consideration during her education".

As she finished, Bloom and Stella returned to the common room while discussing Stella's creation.

"I just thought it would grab attention," said Stella a bit defensively.

"Well, it does, but not in the 'wow, that's awesome' fashion as much as in the 'oh god, I'm suddenly seasick'" explained Bloom apologetically.

"Oh well, back to the drawing board," sighed Stella. "Hey, Blooms parents. How goes the interrogation".

"The 'interrogation' went just fine and has been concluded, Miss Guildenstern," said the deputy headmistress with a tinge of annoyance.

"Good, so, I was curious, how are you going to get home?" asked the blonde. "Because if need be, I can pop up another portal for you".

"Yes, because another trip through that psychedelic tumble dryer was just what I needed to complete my life," grumbled Mike with an eye roll, causing Stella to pout in annoyance.

"I said I was sorry, it's not always like that," she said, crossing her arms.

"Never the less, the school will be handling that," said Griselda sternly. "Once the headmistress has finished her business we will..." Music suddenly erupted from her pocket. "My apologies," she said and pulled out a cell phone. "Headmistress? Already? I see, that was fast. No problems? Excellent. Then I will finish up here". She put the phone back into her pocket and said: "A team had already been sent to insure there was no traces that could be followed off world. They brought back as much stuff as they could identify as Bloom's. Also, Faragonda has a one way phone ready for you," she said, turning towards Mike and Vanessa. "It will be given to you before you're sent home, which will be two hours from now. I'll leave the three of you alone to say your goodbyes". With that, the deputy walked off, leaving the Peterson's and Stella alone.

"Well, I think I'll slink back to my room and see if I can't figure out a better colour combo. See you later" said Stella with a little wave and hurried back to her room.

"Well..." said Bloom slowly, shuffling her feet. "I guess I should say goodbye now, if it's okay with you and all, even though it's a bit sudden and everything maybe hasn't worked out alright, but..." The redhead stopped as her mom pulled into a tight hug. Then Mike enveloped the both of them in his arms. The family stood there, silently embracing each other, for half a minute before letting each other go, small tears visible in Vanessa's and Bloom's eyes.

"Thanks, I needed that" Bloom said and rubbed her eyes.

"Just remember that we love you. And we will always be there for you," said Mike, rubbing his daughter's hair.

"And if you need anything, even if it's just to talk, you give us a call," said Vanessa.

"Thanks. And I love you too," said Bloom with an earnest smile.

...

As the Petersons walked out the front door some time later, they noticed a couple of things had changed in the courtyard. First, someone had dropped assorted luggage and furniture in the middle of the courtyard. Second, someone had parked what looked like a floating blue armoured school bus just outside the main gate. Thirdly, Faragonda was there, talking to some people clad in the same uniforms as the caped teens who had shown up to aid Stella.

"...and you can tell him I really appreciate the help," finished Faragonda.

"I'm sure Saladin will love to hear that," said a brown haired guy. "Anyway, we'll be leaving now, got other things to do".

"Like filing a report. Because paperwork is so amazing," said a uniformed lady with red hair, rolling her eyes.

"All part of the job Sasha," said the first guy, as the five caped people returned to their floating vehicle. Shortly after, the door closed behind them, the vehicle roared and soared of into the sky.

"Our department really needs one of those," said Mike, staring at the vehicle in awe.

"Ah, there you are," said Faragonda, noticing the family. "The people of Red Fountain were so kind as to bring what they assumed to be your things here. And they apologize if anything is missing, but they didn't have a lot of time".

"It's okay," said Bloom with a hand wave. "I can see they brought my bed, my clothes and..." She suddenly gasped and happily exclaimed: "Kiko," before running over to the guinea pig's cage, which was resting on her table. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you" she cooed as she observed the slumbering mammal inside.

"Now then, are you ready to return home?" asked Faragonda, turning to Bloom's parents.

"Yes, we have said our goodbyes," confirmed Mike.

"In that case," continued the headmistress and retrieved a cellphone from her pocket. "This is for you. It can only call Bloom's phone, but she will be able to call it from any phone. Speaking of phones," she said and fished up another one. "This is for you Bloom. This one can actually call across dimensions. And your parent's number is already in the phone book".

"Thanks," said Bloom earnestly.

"Well, I guess we'll be going then?" asked Vanessa.

Faragonda nodded with a kind smile and asked: "Will you please step into the middle of the yard. I don't want to accidentally gate anything else with you". When Bloom's parents had taken their place, Faragonda brought her hands together and a bright light manifested between them. Her brows furrowed in concentration and a blast of dazzling colours exploded from her palms. Mike and Vanessa's eyes widened for a moment and then with a flash they were gone.

"Wow," whispered Bloom.

"Now, let's get those things to your room," said Faragonda. With another chromatic flash, the different items started to gently float in the air.

...

Mike and Vanessa found themselves standing in their garden. "Well, much better than last time. Doesn't feel like my stomach is doing somersaults," noted Mike.

"Yes, that... do you notice something different?" asked Vanessa with a raised eyebrow.

"No, everything looks like it should," said the blond.

"Exactly," noted the brunette. "Our house doesn't look like it's been bombed any longer".

"Huh, well that was unexpected," noted Mike.

"I for one am also impressed at the speed of those repairs," said a voice behind them. The two Petersons turned around with jolt. It was the red headed man from before.

"Yeah, really surprising. Didn't even know they would be over to fix it today," noted Mike, rubbing his neck.

"Really? So you didn't notice anything?" asked the man, stepping into the garden.

"No, we've only just come home. Our daughter has left for her new boarding school," explained Vanessa.

"I see. Well, I suppose this is a pleasant surprise then," noted the man, eyeing the repaired house.

"Yeah, it's like a wizard did it," said Mike with a chuckle.

"Indeed," noted the man, his expression unreadable. He stroked his crimson goatee and mumbled something to himself, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Mike could have sworn he heard him mumble the words "cover up".

"What was that?" asked the blond.

"Just a stray thought. Guesswork, nothing else," said the man with a head-shake. "I must be off. I have business to attend to. Have a nice day," Then he strode off.

"Did you know that man?" Vanessa asked her husband.

"Yes, he was here earlier. That was..." Mike paused for a moment. "Actually, I have no clue who he is".

...

"There we go," noted Faragonda as she gently placed down Kiko's cage. "Is everything as it should be?"

"I'm missing a pair of shoes and my bicycle, but they were in the entrée and the garage so I understand why they would be missed," Bloom said, checking through her drawers. "Also, lots of drawings missing, but I'll just make some new ones".

"Just leave room for, well, you room-mate," said Faragonda, looking at the half of the apartment that had been left empty. The student apartment consisted of a small living room, a bathroom and two fairly big rooms, one of which had been filled with Bloom's stuff.

"I don't think I could draw enough to plaster the whole apartment, even if I wanted to," said Bloom with a chuckle. "By the way, when will my room-mate show up?"

"Most of the other students arrive tomorrow. On that note, the staff will be introduced at one o'clock in the main hall. Other than that, you are free to do what you want until classes start next week. Within reason of course" said Faragonda with a warm smile. "Now I will leave. It seems Miss Guildenstern is eager to have your attention".

Bloom raised an eyebrow and then looked towards the open door. There Stella stood with a wide grin and a bag, waving her hand. As the headmistress was leaving the apartment, she heard Stella say: "Okay, so I thought up a new combination. How about this". She couldn't help but chuckle at Blooms reply of: "I'm trying to think of something stronger than 'no'".

...

"And this is the library. It's dusty, full of books and so on and so on," said Stella, waving her hand. She was currently giving Bloom a tour of Alfea. "Mostly used for homework and the occasional case of complete and utterly total boredom".

"I see," said the redhead, scratching her head while attempting to memorize the schools layout. "I think it will take a while before it'll stick".

"Don't worry about it, all newcomers, well, most newcomers get lost occasionally," reassured Stella with a hand wave. She looked up at the library's clock and said: "Huh, would you look at that. It's almost assembly time".

The two girls walked down the hallway, Bloom following Stella who looked like she knew where she was going.

"So, like, I don't understand why I have to be there," she said, voicing another of her many complaints. "I mean, I totally get why new students have to be there because, you know, learn the teachers names and what the rules are, but us older students don't need that".

"Such as the rule of 'don't blow up classrooms,'" asked Bloom, trying to sound innocent.

"It was a complete accident, I swear," said Stella, throwing her arms in the air. "If I wanted to get out of Alfea so badly I was willing to resort to explosives, it would be easier to just get a transfer".

"Maybe it's in case there's new teachers or rules," suggested the redhead a bit more seriously.

"Hmm, I suppose that could be the case. And some students definitely need to get reminded about the rules," pondered the blonde, rubbing her chin.

As the two of them entered the main hall, Bloom noticed the large number of students that had gathered, all clad in different exotic clothes and accessories.

"Lots of girls here," noted Bloom, scanning the crowd.

"Fairy was traditionally a girl job, so we only get few boys. Though there's more and more each year," noted Stella. "Or so I heard. But there's definitely more joining than last year".

As the two of them found a place to stand in the back, Faragonda, Griselda and a host of other people walked out on an overhead balcony. Bloom guessed the other people where teachers and staff. She definitely recognised the cook, whom she had spotted earlier that day.

"Everyone, please quiet down," said Faragonda, motioning with her hands. The chatter that had filled the hall with noise slowly died down. "Now, I'd like to welcome all of you to the Alfea Institute of Fairy Magic. I hope all of you will have many a pleasant year to come. To ensure this, there's a couple of rules that will need to be observed," continued the elderly headmistress in a grandmotherly voice. "First of all, several types of magic are forbidden to be used outside classrooms and the simulator, for safety reasons. If you wish to train such spells outside class hours, you must contact a teacher and set up training time. Also, running around outside your apartment cluster after 10.00 pm on weekdays without a good reason will result in disciplinary action. Contact a teacher if you are in doubt about whether something will constitute a good reason. You are expected to treat each other and the students of other schools with respect. Student apartments must be maintained and will be inspected once a week to ensure everything is reasonably clean and tidy. And that's the general rules. Specifics can be found online or in the guidebooks and pamphlets which can be found at the library. Now then, allow me to introduce you all to our staff". She gestured to herself and said: "I am headmistress Emanuela Faragonda and this is deputy headmistress Susanne Griselda". The deputy gave a short sharp nod in acknowledgement. "She is also the teacher of combat magic and has the authority to order disciplinary action. This is Professor Keefe Wizgiz, teacher in transformation". A small man that Bloom hadn't even noticed before stepped forward. He was small, practically a dwarf, with a beard, pointy ears, a skin tone that seemed somewhat sand like and a very large green hat, which complimented his emerald clothes. He enthusiastically waved to the students. "Jarlan Palladium, teacher in alchemy and basic magical theory". Another teacher stepped forward. He was very slim and had smooth brown hair and just like professor Wizgiz, he had pointy ears, though not quite as big. His clothes consisted of muted, brown fabrics. He too waved, and while he still managed to look enthusiastic, he also looked somewhat nervous and flustered. "Professor Aure DuFour, who teaches artificing and manages the school's simulator". A female teacher stepped forward. She had long greyish hair, wore glasses and her clothes where a deep scarlet. She gave a small but still warm and welcoming smile to the students. "And our newest teacher, Eirian Avalon, who will be teaching in magical philosophy and general spell casting". A man stepped forward, his every step restrained and controlled. His hair was black with a few grey streaks and his clothes where shades of white and gold with nary a fold in them. He gave a courteous bow to the assembled students. "As for our staff, we have Scatzi Barbatera, our librarian". A thin lady with big, round glasses and a massive puff of dark red, almost purple hair stepped forward. "Arsinoe Ophelia, school nurse". A middle-aged woman with a well-defined jaw and orange-brown hair stepped forward and gave the students a warm smile. "And finally, we have Emilio SeFogelia, school chef". A short man with black hair and a prim, slightly long moustache stepped forward. He had a dignified, but very serious look on his face. "And that concludes the introductions. I am sure you will get better acquainted in the coming year. Dismissed," finished the headmistress, and the flock of students immediately dissolved into a noisy mass of chatting teens.

"Same as last year," sighed Stella. "Well, 'cept the new guy of course. He was new". She paused a bit as she mulled over what she just said. "Which I guess is kinda obvious".

"I figured," chuckled Bloom. "So, what now?"

"Now we go say hello to our apartment mates," exclaimed the blonde jubilantly. She grabbed the redhead's hand and dragged her through the throng of students as she said: "Come on, let's go".

...

When the two of them arrived back at the common room, they heard rummaging sounds both from the unused apartment and the one Bloom slept in.

"Well, that was quick," mumbled Bloom, listening to the sound of muffled voices.

"I know. Isn't magic wonderful and convenient. I mean, like, imagine having to drag all of those heavy things in by hand. Totally terrible," sighed Stella.

"I don't have to do any imagining. I've seen my parents do it," commented the redhead. "Anyway, I'm going to go say hello to my room-mate. Wanna come?"

"No, the first meeting with a room-mate is a sacred moment," said the blonde with a sagely air.

"Really?" asked Bloom sceptically.

"No, I just want to wait here and say hello to the others," admitted Stella with a cheeky smile.

"Fine, I'll go say hello to my room-mate. Just don't show them your clothes or we risk them fleeing in horror," replied Bloom with an equally cheeky smile as she went for her apartment.

When she entered the apartment, she quickly found the other occupant carefully setting up potted plants in her room.

The girl was clad in what reminded Bloom a bit of a business dress, black, clean and very formal looking. She was very tan and had hair with colouration varying from chestnut to caramel, tied up in a bun. "Hello there," she said and turned towards Bloom. "Can I assume you are my new room-mate?"

"That would be correct," said Bloom and extended her hand. "Bloom Peterson".

"Flora Canto," replied the girl, shaking Bloom's hand firmly.

"So, I see you like plants," commented the redhead, looking over the several potted specimens.

"Oh, I do, but these are not just for looks," said Flora, bowing down to grab another pot. "Well, a couple of them are, but most also serve as a utility". She started pointing at different plants and said: "This one produces leaves for my favourite tea. These have different medicinal properties. This one produces a sweat fragrance I really like, though I will warn you, don't touch it," she continued, pointing at a particularly spiky plant.

"Because of the thorns?" guessed Bloom.

"Well, that and the poison," said Flora nonchalantly. "It is not lethal and I have the antidote, but I find it better to just not get poisoned in the first place".

"I'll keep that in mind," said Bloom nervously and took a step away from the plant. She knew it was kinda ridiculous, but it made her feel better none the less. "So, any other dangerous plants?"

"This one will give you cramps, though only if you eat it," said the brunette, pointing at a red-purple plant. "I keep it because its juices, if diluted, are really good against heartburn". She placed another plant in the windowsill and took stock of the room. "Looks fine. I assume you are not the only one here?" she asked Bloom.

"Oh no. There's Stella, who arrived a couple of days ago with me, and then there's someone else, but I haven't met them yet".

"Well then, I shall go introduce myself," concluded Flora and walked out of the apartment, Bloom following close behind.

As they returned to the common room, they heard someone excitedly exclaim: "Wow gal, that colour combo is sick".

A girl with magenta hair, that was incredibly messy, stood and actually looked like she admired a dress of Stella's design. She had a wiry, muscular build and was clad in incredibly worn clothes, her pants especially looking ready to just give up the ghost and turn to dust. Her wrist was decorate by several colourful but cheap looking armbands.

"What's going on?" asked Bloom.  
"Nothing. Just that somebody, like, totally appreciates my art," said Stella with an air of pride. She paused a bit. "At least, that's what I understood".

"Yes, yes, I totally dig it," said the girl, turning to Bloom to confirm it. As she did, Bloom noticed the rather large scar on her face. And two on her arm. And one more on her other arm.

"They're cool, right?" asked the girl, and Bloom immediately turned a shade of crimson.

"Sorry," she stammered. "I didn't mean to stare, I just kinda noticed them. I mean, not that they are that noticeable, I just..."

"It's okay, they're badges of honour," said the girl with a smile. "Besides," she added, trailing the scar on her face with a finger. "These are nothing compared to how the other guy ended up". She seemed lost in a memory for a moment, before she snapped out of it and said: "Anyway, you can call me Techna. And you two gals are".

"Bloom Peterson," said the red head, still trying to avoid starring at the magenta haired girl's scars.

"Flora Canto," said the tanned girl and shook hands with Techna.

"Pleasure to meet ya both," said the girl with a grin.

"And I'm Musa Xenophon," said another voice, and Bloom suddenly noticed the other girl in the room. She was very fair skinned with ebony hair tied up in two pigtails. She had features that Bloom would have described as oriental, if she had not been so sure that this girl had never set foot in the orient. Or on Earth for that matter. Her clothes, all in various shades of blue, was patched up with various colourful laps of fabrics.

"Well, that settles the introductions. Ya'll have to 'scuse me, Imma go look for some grub, 'cause I'm starving" said Techna excitedly and hurried out of the room.

"So," said Bloom slowly, eyeing the door Techna had hurried out of. "She liked your clothes?"

"That she totally did," said Stella with a triumphant smile. "And you thought it would scare people".

...

A couple of hours later, Bloom sat on a bench in the courtyard sketching the fountain before her, her pet crawling all over her feet, nibbling at the grass beneath the bench. Small groups of students were walking outside, enjoying the warm weather. The air was filled with chatter and the faint chirps of birds.

"You're good," sounded a voice behind Bloom. The redhead turned and saw Musa walk over to her.

"Thanks," said Bloom. "Your name was Musa, right?"

"Correct," answered the girl with a smile. "Anyway, I ran into Techna and she had been talking with Stella, and they wanted to know if you wanted to go on a trip to Magicalis and eat dinner there".

Bloom bit into her pen while thinking it over. "I guess it wouldn't hurt," she said after a short thinking pause. "When is it?"

Musa checked her wristwatch and said: "We're leaving at four. Just meet up with us at the main gate. Now I just need to track down that Flora girl," she mumbled as she wandered off towards the main doors.

"Out eating dinner. Well, I suppose I will be living with them for the year, so might as well get to know them. Right Kiko?" she asked her pet as she lifted him up and began petting him. The guinea pig happily purred at the attention. "I knew you'd agree," said the redhead, a content smile on her face.

...

Seven minutes before four, Bloom walked across the cobblestones of the courtyard towards the iron gates of the school. Already there where the four others, busy talking about something.

"...and then she said, 'girl, that dress was ruined from the moment you made it'. Totally disrespectful," said Stella, waving her arm in annoyance.

"Knew a chick like that once. Had to occasionally shove her face first into a garbage can whenever she crossed the line," said Techna. An awkward pause followed.

"Rough neighbourhood?" asked Musa with a raised eyebrow.

"Like you wouldn't believe," answered Techna with a cocky smile.

"Hello Bloom," greeted Flora, who was now wearing a bit more casual ensemble in green colours.

"Hey girls. How's it going?" asked Bloom.

"Excellent. Just talking about shoving people into garbage cans," said Musa. "You know, ordinary stuff like that".

"I'll take your word for it," said Bloom slowly. "Anyway, how do we get to... Magicalibur was it?"

"Close. Magicalis," corrected Flora. "And to answer your question, a bus should be arriving any... ah, there it is".

A long, blue, wheel less vehicle floated down the road.

"Wow, that's awesome," said Bloom as she eyed the hovering machine.

"Ya think?" asked Techna surprised.

"Uhm..." said Bloom slowly. "They use wheels where I am from".

"Huh... well, why not," said Techna with a shrug and climbed aboard the bus.

One by one they entered the bus. As Bloom made her way up past the chauffeur, the man said: "That'll be five nummi, miss".

Bloom suddenly froze. "Oh fuuuuuudge" she said, twisting her curse into something a bit more innocent. "I haven't gotten any money yet."

"Relax, I got this," said Stella. "Here. For my friend".

"That'll do," said the chauffeur.

"Whew, thanks Stella," said the redhead as the girls moved down the bus to find places to sit. "I'd completely forgotten I didn't have any money on me".

"Forgot to get your coins exchanged?" asked Musa.

"Uhm," said Bloom with a bit of a deer in the headlight look on her face. "It's a bit more complicated than that... but yes, that's the short version".

The bus jolted slightly as it began floating down the cobbled road.

"So, how long is the journey?" asked Bloom.

"Twenty minutes, tops," said Stella, who had placed herself next to Bloom.

The five girls sat in silence for a while as the bus gently floated down the forest road. Bloom noticed that the ride was much smoother than any car or bus back home. If she looked away from the window she could easily pretend that the bus wasn't moving at all.

"So..." started Techna slowly after a while. "Any of you gals figured out your knacks yet".

"I'm a second year," said Stella.

"Doesn't mean you know ya knack. You could have been held back a year," continued Techna.

The blonde huffed in annoyance and answered: "I haven't been held back a year and I so totally know what my knack is. It's light, for your information".

"Sound," said Musa.

"Plant life," said Flora.

"Uhm... possibly fire, maybe," said Bloom carefully.

"And mine's technology," finished Techna.

Silence once again descended upon the transport.

"Welp, at least I tried," said the purple haired girl with a carefree shrug.

"Tried what?" asked Bloom.

"To get a conversation going," sounded the reply.

"Oh, sorry, didn't catch that," said Bloom. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Nothing specific. Just bored ya know".

"You said your knack was technology. What can you do?" asked the redhead curiously.

"Not that much to be honest. Self-taught after all. Mostly, just jump-starting stubborn car engines and making small machines for everyday stuff. Hoping to learn some cooler tricks here at Alfea".

"Me too," beamed Bloom.

"You said ya knack was fire, right?" asked Techna.

"I think it is. Not sure yet," admitted Bloom.

"Do not worry. You will figure it out soon enough. It will be pretty obvious with even the most basic of training," said Flora.

"I sure hope so," said Bloom, looking out the window at passing trees. The rest of the trip passed mostly in silence, only occasionally broken up with small talk about news from different dimensions.

...

Bloom stretched her arms as the group left the bus. She looked around and observed the city of Magicalis. The first thing she noticed was how normal it looked. She had expected something as fairytale like as Alfea, but Magicalis looked like an average middle-sized American city. Just with more floating cars.

"So, what do you think?" asked Stella as they walked down the pavement.

"Surprisingly normal," answered Bloom. "I think I expected something a bit more obviously magical".

"Like what?" asked Flora.

"I don't know. Flying buildings or something like that," said Bloom with a shrug.

"There's a town back on Harmony that has a couple of those. Takes a lot of magic and it's really just for looks," said Musa. "It's just not practical".

"I'll have to take your word for it," said the redhead.

...

Frank Sisyphus was not having a good day. He sold glasses for a living and considered himself very good at making them. He wasn't exactly famous, but well known and had a loyal customer base. Most days where nice, not particularly demanding and usually involved a nice chat with a customer or three. But today was not a good day. Not because business had been slow, nor because he hadn't had any customers to talk to, but because he was currently servicing a giant bandage clad ogre. Though Frank did not consider himself an expert, he knew that while ogres could recover from almost anything, the process was draining, tiring and apparently itchy. Which made the already infamously short-tempered creatures even more irritable. And considering the way his current customer was grumbling and cursing under his breath all the time, Frank knew the guy had more than enough reasons to be angry and he was determined not to give the ogre any reason to unleash it's budding fury.

"Ho-how about the-the-these" he stammered as he handed the massive creature a pair of glasses.

"They're pink," grumbled Knut, sounding very much like a thundercloud.

"We-well, just wanted to-to check the effect. Have them in mul-multiple colour out back," continued the optician, who was starting to sweat.

The ogre snorted and then grumbled something in a foreign language as he returned to browsing the wares. His currently only functional eye glanced out the window and he froze.

"Some-something wrong," asked Frank, feeling his heart leap into his throat.

"I have to go," grumbled the ogre, whereafter he shoved the pair of glasses he was holding into Franks hand with enough force to knock him to the floor and then left.

As Knut left the building, Frank felt the sweet relief of knowing that his chances of making it to retirement had just drastically increased.

Outside, the ogre hurried into an ally and pulled from one of his massive pockets an equally massive phone. He pressed a couple of buttons and put the phone to his ear.

"What is it now?" sounded a cold voice from the other side.

"Sorry for interrupting, my mistresses," said the ogre, his voice changing gear to something suitably subservient. "But I just spotted that Stella girl in Magicalis. And she has her ring with her".

"What? I would have thought she would... never mind that. Keep an eye on her until we arrive. Do you think you can manage that?" sounded the voice mockingly.

"Of course my mistresses," said Knut in as sweet a voice as he could muster, although his facial expression would have sent most people running for the hills.

"Good. And if you screw up again, then it's going out of your payment". Then the call ended.

Knut grumbled a couple of his favourite curse-words as he returned his phone to his pocket. He sniffed the air and hurried down the alley.

...

"Again, surprisingly much like home," said Bloom, starring at what she was pretty sure was pizza, although she couldn't recognise any of the greens. Or any of the meat for that matter.

"In that case, adjusting shouldn't be too hard," suggested Stella.

"No, I guess not," sighed Bloom and took a bite of a slice.

"How is it?" asked Musa.

"Delicious. Though a bit tough," said Bloom. She put the slice down and sighed heavily.

"Whut's wrung?" asked Techna, barely comprehensible due to the copious amounts of pizza in her mouth.

"Well, you're spraying half chewed bits of fish all over the table for one thing," noted Musa, delicately removing one of said pieces from her clothes.

"I just... I just miss my parents. I've never been so far away from them and seeing all this just keeps reminding me of home," said Bloom sadly. "In fact, I think I'll give them a call". She started rummaging through her pockets, but her expression suddenly darkened and she sadly moaned: "Oh no, don't tell me I forgot my phone too".

"Here. I saw a payphone down at the corner. Can you remember your parent's number?" asked Stella, handing Bloom a silver coloured coin.

"Yes. Thank you Stella, you're a lifesaver," said Bloom and hurried down the street.

A few moments after she left, Techna asked: "So, what's up with this here Bloom gal?"

"Oh no," said the blonde defensively. "You're not getting any info out of me, girl. My lips are sealed. You'll have to ask Bloom".

"But the very fact you react like that does indicate that there is, in fact, something out of the norm," added Flora.

Stella froze for a moment, before muttering: "God dammit".

...

"Hello. Dad, it's Bloom," said the redhead into the phone.

"Hello Bloom. How's it going in the world of hocus pocus?" asked her dad.

"Good. Nothing to complain about. In fact, outside of Alfea, it's actually pretty normal. Cars, houses, even pizza," said Bloom while fingering the phone's cord. "And that made me think of back home and... well, I miss you and mom".

"We miss you too honey. But it sounds like you're having fun anyway," said her dad.

"Yeah, it's nice. School hasn't started yet so I have mostly just been fooling around," said the redhead.

"Well, nothing wrong with that. A couple of your friends have been by, but we told them you're on a boarding school out of town. Don't like lying to them, but I think it's best if we keep this under wraps," admitted her dad.

"It's okay. If things are even half as bad as Faragonda suggested it's for the best," sighed Bloom. She stared across the street while gathering her thoughts, when she suddenly noticed something. "I'm sorry dad, but I have to go. I'll call you as soon as I'm back on Alfea. Say hello to mom for me".

"Will do honey. Take care of yourself," said her dad.

Bloom hung up and stared at an alley on the opposite side of the street. She was pretty sure she had seen the ogre who had attacked her parent's home. While there was probably more than one ogre, the one she had seen had injuries matching the ones her attacker had earned. She hurried across the street as soon she could, determined to figure out what the guy was up to. She sneaked to the opening of the alley, doing her best to move silently, and looked around the corner. It was filled with trashcans and piles of boxes awaiting garbage day. And sure enough, not far down lumbered the massive form of the very same ogre who had been chasing Stella. She sneaked after him, moving from hiding spot to hiding spot in small bursts. The massive form of the ogre turned a corner and Bloom heard an annoyed voice say: "Finally. Took your sweet time showing up. Where are they?"

The redhead hurried to a hiding spot behind a box and peeked around the corner. The ogre was standing in front of three girl, whom Bloom judged to be about her own age, probably slightly older. One was clad in teal clothes that looked to be of remarkably good quality, and she had impressively long silver hair that reached her waist. Beside her was another girl, with really pale skin that stood in stark contrast to her dark make-up and dirty blond hair. Her clothes where simple and in mostly dark purple colours. The last of them had an unruly clump of dark hair that looked like it would break any comb that got near it. Her clothes where very showy, coloured in deep crimson. She was also the only one of the three to wear high heels.

"Sorry 'bout that my ladies," said the ogre, his voice far from the terrifying growling he had used when Bloom last met him. "But I had to track them carefully to not be noticed".

"Well, I guess it's better you do your job properly rather than screw up," said the pale girl, leaning against a brick-wall.

"Yet a-frickin-gain," grumbled the girl with unruly hair.

"So what do you have for us?" demanded the silver haired girl.

"Five of them, Stella included, are at Dormin's having dinner," explained the ogre.

"And the last girl," asked the pale girl.

"Hiding behind that box back there trying not to be noticed," said the ogre, gesturing with his thumb.

Bloom froze in her place, her brain racing to come up with a plan of action. Unfortunately for her, the other girls where quicker. The moment the silver haired girl knew Bloom was there, she slammed her hands into the ground and a layer of ice rapidly grew towards Bloom. The redhead yelped in fear and shock as frost crept up her shoes and legs. She rose up and tried to pull away, but a thick layer of ice had already enveloped her thighs and it spread all the way to her waist. She desperately and panicky clawed at the ice, trying to break it off her. She could already feel her toes starting to go numb from the cold.

"The only thing that's going to accomplish is breaking your nails," said a mocking voice near her. Bloom looked up and saw the three girls striding towards her.

"Well, well, so your Stella's new best friend," said the silver haired girl.  
"Who... who are you?" asked Bloom, suddenly fearing for her life. She desperately wished she had gone back to her friends instead of trying to follow the ogre on her own.

"Sorry, that's confidential," said the pale-skinned girl.

"All you need to know is that we want Stella's ring. And you're going to help us," said the teal clad girl.

"Why would I ever help you?" asked Bloom, trying to sound defiant.

"Oh, it's not exactly like you have a choice," said the silver haired with a cruel smirk. "Knut. Go see where the others are".

"Right on it," said the ogre hastily and hurried down the alley.

"And this time, try not taking all fucking day," yelled the red clad girl after him. After a short while, she turned towards the two others and asked: "So what now?"

"Until he returns, we stay here, keep an eye on the redhead and say as little as possible," said the blonde. "The less she knows," she elaborated, nodding her head towards Bloom. "The less she can tell others".

The wild haired girl snorted and added: "Boring".

"Yes, but also practical," countered the pale skinned girl.

While the three of them had this conversation, Bloom desperately tried to call upon the same power she had used against the imps, but no matter how hard she concentrated, she couldn't create as much as a single spark. After a few minutes of desperately trying to conjure fire, Bloom was startled by the sudden return of Knut. Despite his immense size, the ogre was quite stealthy.

"They're just outside the alley, my mistresses," said the ogre in a subdued and servile voice that Bloom found quite unsuited for him.

"Good. Now... Bloom was it?" asked the silver haired girl as she walked uncomfortably close to the redhead. "Would you be so kind as to scream for help?"

"I'm not going to lure Stella into your trap," snapped Bloom angrily.

"As I said, you're not getting a choice," said the girl calmly with a cruel smile. Suddenly the ice started to grow again, slowly enveloping her stomach. Bloom yelped as the numbing cold began spreading through her body. Reflexively, she tried to peel the ice off, but that just resulted in her hand being enveloped and thus stuck to her body.

"Come on, just a little scream of mortal terror," said the teal clad girl in a mocking voice.

The creeping frost enveloped the redhead's breasts and shoulders. As it slowly made it way up her neck, panic finally overwhelmed Bloom's mind and she screamed, tears of fear pouring from her eyes. Immediately the ice stopped it's growth.  
"See, that wasn't hard at all," said the silver haired girl, her voice laced with mock sweetness.

Above her own hurried breath and the painfully numbing cold spreading throughout her body, the terrified redhead heard the sound of footsteps running down the alley.

"Bloom, we heard you..." Stella called out, as she and the other girls hurried around the corner, but they immediately stopped when they saw the sight before them. "...scream" finished the blonde, starring the scene in front of them.

"Knut, the ring," commanded the teal clad girl.

A predatory smile spread across Knut's face as he lumbered towards the girls.

"Now you're going to pay for ruining my eye," growled the hulking ogre in a murderous tone.

"Quick, info on ogres," yelped Musa.

"Sensitive ears and nose" answered Flora.

"Good" replied Musa and clapped her hands. A painful noise like a hundred nails on a chalkboard exploded from her hands. The massive ogre stopped and clasped his ears, grunting in pain as it felt like someone was drilling into his ears. Flora took a purposeful step forward and with a smooth, practised movement, she pulled a seed from her pocket and threw it. In the second it flew through the air, the seed sprouted into a pretty flower and then immediately exploded into a massive cloud of yellow pollen. Knut snorted painfully as his nostrils were filled with a sticky, sweet scented dust that completed overloaded his nose.

He desperately snorted over and over again, trying to rid himself of the pollen, all the while his ears where still ringing painfully. His bloodshot, watering eye stared with barely contained rage at the girls, but that ended quickly as one of Stella's flares exploded in his face. The massive ogre yowled in pain and now bereft of sight, sound and smell, he just started swinging his massive arms around. The girls pulled back as the ogre swung out towards them, denting a brick wall in the process.

"What now?" asked Stella.

"Big guy like him? Know exactly what the doctor ordered," answered Techna and withdrew a baseball sized metal ball from her pocket. She carefully aimed and threw it, and the sphere divided into two in mid-air, only connected by a cable. The two half spheres swung around the tree trunk thick legs of the ogre, entangling them. With a frustrated, angry yell, the ogre fell into a wall, bringing it down in the process.

"Well," said the pale-skinned girl while raising an eyebrow in surprise. "That happened".

"Fucking useless moron," growled the crimson clad girl, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Well, now that today's entertainment is over with, how about you make this easy on yourself and hand over the ring?" asked the silver haired girl, stepping forth with a menacing smile.

"We just handled you ogre minion. What makes you think you're scarier than him?" asked Techna, indicating the fallen ogre with her thumb.

"He's just an ogre. We, however, have been studying magic for years," said the teal clad girl, demonstrating by conjuring a couple of ice chunks to float over her open hand. "So if you don't want to end up as a bunch of fairy ice cubes, I suggest you hand over that ring".

"Why do you want my ring so badly? If you want to accessorice, get your own," hissed Stella.

"How about we cut the chatter and just take the damn ring already. We have to be back soon," hissed the girl in high heels.

"So, I take it your students too. Probably from a school here on Magix, given how you expect to be able to get back before 'soon'," said Flora. She glanced at Bloom, who looked like she was about to faint from her cold prison.

"See, that part about not saying anything. Still in effect," sighed the pale girl annoyed, glaring at her friend.

"As if it fucking matters," growled the crimson clad girl annoyed.

"Enough already," hissed the silver haired girl and turned to her companions. "If you two wish to discuss security, you can do it once we're done here, not while..." She was interrupted by another metal sphere that landed in between the three. "What the..." said the crimson clad, before the sphere exploded in a white smoke-filled flash, accompanied by a loud bang.

"Hurry, grab Bloom and gate us out of here," yelled Techna, who had thrown the ball.

"Right, got it," answered the blonde with a nod and sprung towards their frozen companion. Her ring unfolded into her staff as she placed her hand on the redhead.

The high heels wearing girl roared in anger, and lightning sprung from her fingers in the general direction of the girls. Musa yelped and threw herself down on the pavement as the bolt hit the brick wall and send smoking fragments of it flying in all directions. Another blast sent a trashcan and its now burning contents all over the place.  
"I say it's time we get out of here," yelled Stella. The other girls scrambled over to her and in a flash of light, they were all gone.

The pale girl rubbed her eyes and glanced at the now empty alley. She sighed and said: "Great. They got away".

"I DON'T FUCKING BELIEVE IT," yelled the red clad girl infuriated. "THOSE TWERPS".

"I think we underestimated them," hypothesized the dirty-blonde. "While most of them were clearly first years, they had some experience".

"Then that is a mistake we'll not make again" hissed the silver haired girl. "Come, let's get out of here before anyone else shows up".

...

"Hang on Bloom. I'll get you out of there," said Musa, as she carefully used small bursts of sound to splinter the ice.

"Th-th-thanks" stammered Bloom. "Who-who the he-hell was that?"

"Not from Alfea, that's for certain. I would totally have recognised them if they were," said Stella.

The girls had landed in a clearing in the middle of a forest.

"So, where are we?" asked Flora.

"If we are where I think we are, about half an hour away from Alfea," answered Stella.

"You couldn't have brought us just a bit closer to Alfea?" asked Musa, who was in the process of freeing Bloom's arms.

"Sorry. It was the first place I thought of," admitted Stella.

"Eh, don't sweat it gal. We got away from those psychos and that's what matters," assured Techna, slapping Stella on the back in a display of camaraderie. "I'm just kinda worried 'bout Bloom. Can't be healthy".

"The best we can do is get her out of the ice and keep her as warm as possible until we can get her to the nurse. Stella, do you think you can gate us closer to Alfea?" asked Flora.

"No, I'm afraid not," sighed Stella. "Gating totally drains me. I'll need, like, a couple of hours at least before I can do it again".

"Then we need to get moving as soon as Bloom is out of the ice. We should not take any chances," concluded the brunette.

...

The sun had already set when the five girls made their way into the Alfea courtyard, the weakened Bloom being supported by Stella and Flora.

"There you are," sounded a strict voice, and the girls froze at the sight of Griselda marching towards them.

"Where have you been? You should have been back an hour ago. And what happened to Bloom?" asked the deputy, her voice switching from lecturing to worry.

"She got attacked by... well, I think they might have been witches. They wanted Stella's ring and used Bloom as bait," said Flora.

"Yeah, nasty bitches IMO. Luckily we had Blondie here to help us out," said Techna, gesturing to Stella.

"I see," said the deputy, her expression darkening. "That is quite serious. I'll inform the headmistress, you two get Bloom to the nurse and then it's bedtime". With those words, she marched off.

"Shouldn't we have mentioned the ogre?" asked Musa.

"Right, almost forgot about that. We'll tell them tomorrow," said Stella.

"For now, let us just get Bloom to the nurse and then get some sleep," said Flora. "Classes start tomorrow and after this, I really need a good night's rest".

...

Later, after helping Bloom to the nurse, the girls met up in their common room.

"So, if that was the same ogre who chased you down earlier, I think we can assume the girls sent him the first time," pondered Flora after an explanation from Stella.

"Any idea why those girls want your ring so much?" asked Musa, leaning back in a chair.

"Well, it can gate people with somewhat ease and it does enhance my magic. But lots of artefacts can do that," said Stella. "It's also a treasure of Solaria, but that just means it's really, really old".

"Maybe they want to ransom it back to your family," mused Techna.

"If that's the case, they're risking a lot by doing so. They could easily face some big charges if they got arrested for this," said Musa. "Maybe there's something special about the ring. Like a hidden power or something".

"I think if that was the case, my dad would, like, have told me," said Stella.

"Maybe he's jus' waiting 'til you're powerful enough to control it?" guessed Techna.

"We can guess from now until morning comes, but we simply have too little information to go on," sighed Flora. "Let us get some sleep".

...

"So?" asked Griselda as Faragonda put the phone down.

"She promised she'd look into it, but no guarantees. Everyone was back before curfew and without any more information, it will be hard to pinpoint who did it. There was a report of a commotion in Magicalis, but all involved where long gone when the police arrived," explained Faragonda. She sighed.

"Then there's nothing we can do right now. I'll be certain to question the girls tomorrow after classes, see if they can give us any additional information," said Griselda.

"Then that is all we can do" sighed Faragonda. "Lessons haven't even started and we already have something like this on our hands".

"Regrettable, but there has always been something every year," said the deputy.

"Like getting our lab blown up last year," chuckled the headmistress. "At least it produced some pretty colours. Never seen such a shade of pink before".


	3. The First Dance

Chapter 3: The First Dance

The doors to the classroom opened and the students streamed in. Bloom took a look around the classroom as she hurried over to a random desk roughly in the middle of the room. The classroom was very much like back home. Lots of individual desks, each with a chair. One end of the room had a huge blackboard and a big desk, presumably for the teacher, and the light of the midday sun streamed in through great glass windows. Chatter filled the air as various students talked, gossiped and bickered about everything between heaven and earth. Bloom looked around, trying to identify her cluster mates, as it was called on Alfea. Techna, who for some reason was wearing a red beanie, was not very far from her and she could see both Musa and Flora up in the front row. And that's when she noticed the small emerald clad man from the teacher's presentation, who was now suddenly sitting on the desk, although Bloom swore he hadn't been there when they entered. He had, apparently, just suddenly appeared. His face was marked with a bemused smirk as he observed the students, entertained by watching them slowly realise his presence. The chatter in the room slowly died out and became awkward silence as the students realised their teacher was there and was waiting for them.

"Oh, don't mind me youngsters. I'll just wait for yer to finish," he said amused with a magnanimous gesture of his hand. None the less, the students elected to remain silent. One slowly raised his hand into the air.

"Ye, the lad with a brown shirt," said the professor, pointing at the boy with the raised hand.

"When did you arrive?" asked the student.

"A donkey's year ago. Had to prepare me notes before ye'll turned up," answered Wizgiz. "Let me guess. None of ye noticed me".

The students looked at each other, as if to find out whether they were the only ones to miss the man clad in clothes brightly green enough to signal airplanes.

"Well, no big surprise there. I am the teacher in transformation. When one of ye lot figure out where I was, well, that'll be a sign of progress. But enough of that, we have much more to do today. Welcome, to transformation. Where ye'll learn to be whatever you want..." With those words, the small man's flesh began to billow and his entire body started to grow. Even his clothes started to undulate, changing shape, size and colour, until there sat a perfect copy of deputy headmistress Griselda before them. "...whenever ye want," finished their teacher, the voice a match for his new form. "Now, can anyone tell me what the hardest part of what I just did was?"

Several hands rose into the air and Keefe pointed at a girl with pink hair and pigtails.

"Was it changing your entire body at once?" she asked.

"No, but a good answer," commended their transformed teacher. "Transforming every last bit of yerself, clothes included, at once takes immense concentration and awareness. But no, not the hardest part. Ye there," he said, pointing at a boy in the back of the room.

"Becoming something you normally isn't?" came the suggestion.

"Again, a good suggestion, though still not the hardest part. Adopting the right mindset to change yerself into something you're normally not, is hard. For example, I'm normally a male leprechaun. If I focus too much on that, I wouldn't be able to transform because I would constantly focus on being who I am. Other suggestions? No. Well, that's okay, because the hardest part is the least flashy and least impressive looking. I changed my mass, added to myself to become bigger. That is the hardest part of transformation, shaping the raw magical energy into matter in order to add to my transformable mass. Equally hard, and dangerous I might add, is converting mass back into energy in order to reduce your shape. If yer not careful, ye will hurt yourself. That's why most people go to professional alterers if they want to be taller, smaller, get wings or something similar to that," explained Wizgiz, his shape slowly reverting to his original form. "So to avoid having the lot of ye turn yourself into some sort of fairy sludge, we'll start out with something simple". He snapped his fingers and hand mirrors blinked into existence on the students desks. "Yer hair colour".

Bloom gingerly picked up the silver coloured mirror and studied her reflection.

"Now, focus on yer hair. Focus with all your might on yer hair and the colour ye want it to be. Force the magic into it and alter it into a new colour".

Bloom eagerly scrunched her face in concentration and focuses with all her mental might on her hair. After a few minutes, she carefully opened her eyes, only to be met with her usual visage. She sighed and looked around to get an idea just how far behind she already was. To her encouragement, the degree of success her classmates had varied wildly. Techna had removed her beanie and her hair was rapidly changing colour, from green to yellow to blue to white with red dots. Musa also seemed to be able to change her hair colour, though at a far slower and more gradual pace than Techna. Others in the class only managed to make their hair stand up, fall out or make trumpet noises. Bloom returned to her mirror and once again and tried to will her hair to become blonde. After a couple of minutes, she heard the bemused voice of Wizgiz beside her saying: "So, how's it going?"

Bloom opened her eyes and sighed: "Not well".

"Don't look so disheartened, lass. Nobody expects success from the get go," he said. "And besides, even a small degree of success is progress". With those words, he walked off to assist a boy whose hair was trying to steal another student's wallet. As Bloom pondered his words, she watched the mirror again, now noticing the slightly bleached tips of her hair.

...

"It's all about self image," advised Stella while pacing back and forth. Bloom was sitting on her bed, focusing on her hair while starring at her mirror image. "You have to imagine the beautiful new you". After that day's lesson and a short interrogation by Griselda (Where Bloom had been unable to provide much new information about her assailants, except vague descriptions) she had asked Stella for help with the whole hair colour changing business.

"I'll settle for a slightly blonder me at this point," hissed Bloom, angrily staring at her mirror. She scrunched her face yet again and focused intensely on her hair. After five seconds, she felt something akin to an electric shock go through it and she yelped in pain and surprise.

"What is going on in here?" asked Flora as she walked in through the open door.

"I'm helping Bloom change her hair colour," said Stella with a great deal of pride and gestured towards Bloom, whose hair had become weightless and was floating around her face.

"I guess we'll have to settle for looking ridiculous," sighed the redhead.

"There is no reason to fret. Unless you have trained in it, all magic is hard," advised Flora as she entered the room. "What you have to focus on is letting go of the idea that red is your 'real' hair colour. Otherwise, you are working against yourself".

"Easier said than done," pouted Bloom while constantly waving the now floating strands of hair out of her face.

"Of course it is. Such is the nature of magic," agreed Flora. "Another piece of advice. Pumping more magic into something will not compensate for the lack of a correct mindset. It will only create more spectacular failures".

"One of my classmates once had her hair jump off her head and start rolling around the classroom barking like a dog. True story," grinned Stella.

Bloom sighed and said: "Enough for tonight. I need to rest. I feel spent." She looked at her apartment mate and asked: "You seem to know a lot about magic already".

"Indeed. I am already very educated in the arts of magic," said Flora with a hint of pride and dignity. "I have been training in my skill set ever since I was a child".

"Huh, what for?" asked Stella.

"To aid my people of course. Limphea, my homeworld, has relatively few magi, so each of us are important. Especially because Limphea can be very dangerous. Magi are very much necessary to keep everything running, especially the ones with knacks like mine," explained the brunette. "That is why I choose to go to Alfea. I will have much better opportunities to hone my magical talents than, for example, the Marigold School of Survival, which focuses more on the non-magical ways to operate on our world". She paused for a bit and then asked: "What about you? What made you choose Alfea?"

"Because I want to learn how to use my magic to shine. I totally want to be one of those faeries who's, like, recognised wherever she goes, with adoring fans following in my wake," she sighed with a dreamy look on her face. "Plus, I want to be able to help others with my magic".

Both of them turned and looked expectantly at Bloom, whose hair was slowly falling back into place again.

"Well, I don't really have some big noble reason to be here," she admitted slowly. "Mostly, it's because I've always been fascinated with the idea of magic and wizardry and fairies and stuff, so I just jumped at the opportunity. Besides..." she added, a tinge of sadness entering her voice. "I can't go back home any more. Not without endangering Mom and Dad".

"That does sound pretty serious," said Flora with worry in her voice. "Where are you from?"

"Earth," answered Bloom, cringing a bit as she expected a horrified reaction from Flora.

Instead, the brunette rubbed her chin and then said: "I do not think that world was ever brought up in my school".

"Heh, it's okay. I can tell you about it another day," said Bloom. "For now, I want to hit the hay".

"That's okay. We'll see you tomorrow," said Stella as she and Flora left the room, closing the door behind them.

...

Dawn once again greeted Alfea, and once again, Bloom found herself in the dinner hall. It was an impressive room with several grand pillars and six long tables with chairs for every student. In one end was another table for the staff and in the other an opening in the wall into the kitchen. There, Chef SeFogelia was giving out today's breakfast, some sort of egg with some sort of bread with some sort of jam on it. Bloom wasn't entirely sure what they all were, but it was close enough to food she knew that she didn't really care. As she received her breakfast, she noticed the chef checking off her name on a list, where after he grabbed his own breakfast and made his way to the staff's table. Bloom herself found a spot between some random students and started eating her food in silence. She was in the middle of pondering whether or not she dared ask where the egg came from, when Faragonda rose from her seat and tapped her glass with a teaspoon. Silence slowly fell over the hall as everyone turned towards the headmistress. Besides her, Griselda also rose from her chair and glared at the students, with a look on her face promising terrifying consequences should anyone dare to interrupt the headmistress.

"As most of you know, tonight is the annual First Year's Dance, a celebration of all newly arrived students. Therefore, classes have been cancelled today and tomorrow. As is tradition, Alfea will be the host. Each first year student will be assigned a specific task and given a fitting amount of money, for which they must buy the items they have been tasked with. In addition, while it is not required, all first years are allowed to donate one piece of music for the party to be randomly played during the festivities. A buffet will be cooked by our esteemed chef SeFogelia and all older students have voted on gifts to share with our guests. Once you are done with your breakfast, Griselda will be handing out pieces of paper with your assigned task. Let's all work together to have another fun and marvellous First Year's Dance".

Bloom couldn't help but notice that Griselda's features became a bit more strained at those words, although the rest of the staff seemed to be looking forward to it. She finished the last piece of bread and made her way to the staff's table, where many other students were already making their way to receive their task.

...

Across the forest, on a grey and naked cliff, stood the massive structure that was the Cloud Tower Institute for Witches. It was a massive, twisting dark structure, towering over the surrounding landscape, its architecture bending in ways that defied physics and made people question the builder's sanity. Inside the structure, very near the top, was a massive hall, with row upon row of seats, each one higher up than the last, surrounding a podium. Today, the collective student body of Cloud Tower, who had been ordered to gather there after breakfast, filled these chairs. The assembled students were chatting amongst themselves, when suddenly, a person walked out from behind the curtain and slowly made her way towards the podium. All talk died in the room, as the students realised that they were in the presence of their headmistress, the great witch Guinevere Griffin. She was very pale, almost ghostly white, her hair a dark purple, matching the silken dress flowing over her thin form. Beside her walked her second in command, deputy headmistress and hexing teacher Welmoed Ediltrued. She was at least one head taller than Griffin and even thinner, giving her a frail appearance, until one looked into her eyes, in which one could see the glimmer of a will stronger than steel. Black hair framed her face, hiding the pointy ears marking her as an elf.

Not far behind her was her cousin, the teacher of magical control Nastaran Zarathustra. Her face, and what little skin was revealed by her thick, teal clothes, where marked by brutal looking scars. She was quite a deal shorter than her cousin and much stockier, which just added to her looming presence.

Beside her walked the elderly teacher of alchemy, Nash Bittersmoke, a witch from an era when men normally weren't, something he took a great pride in. His face was wrinkled and he had a prominent nose that often reminded the students of a hawk's bill. His form was slightly hunched over and clad in an ancient dark cloak. He stuck out quite a bit from his co-workers, not only due to his gender but also for his relatively non-threatening and gentle appearance.

Headmistress Griffin had finally arrived at the podium and placed her hands on it, throwing a slow, calculated glare at the students.

"Witches of Cloud Tower," she started, her voice clear and sharp as a knife, easily reaching even the farthest row of students. "Today, Alfea once again celebrates the First Year's Dance. A merry celebration, to be sure. And once again, they have invited the students of Red Fountain. Quite nice of them, isn't it?" Nobody dared answer that question. She drew a deep breath. "And once again, not a single invitation has made its way to Cloud Tower. Probably because they want a calm little party with tea and cookies and all other kinds of nice fairy princess stuff," she said, causing laughter to erupt from the student body. A small smile slowly manifested on the headmistress' face. "Well, I say we show them how witches party. I say we crash their little **soirée** and it is the duty of all first year witches to help. Come up to the podium, we got a special task for each of you to prepare for". With this, the student body erupted into approval, as the first years eagerly hurried to the podium to get a task.

...

"So, what are your tasks?" asked Musa as she, Bloom, Techna and Flora crossed the courtyard, along with several other first year students, towards the bus stop.

"Let me check," answered Bloom and took a piece of paper from her pocket. "Dishes".

"I have been asked to buy cutlery," said Flora.

"Weird, you'd think they'd have enough of both," said Techna curiously.

"It is probably to ensure that there is enough tasks for everyone," guessed Flora.

The four of them stopped by the bus sign.

"I'll admit, I really did not expect there to be a big celebration already on the second day," admitted Bloom as the girls waited for the bus. "I mean, school's barely even begun".

"Makes sense to me. It celebrates new students, so it's gotta be early in the year," explained Techna.

"Because otherwise we wouldn't be new anymore?" guessed Musa. The magenta haired girl replied with a smile and a thumbs up.

"So, do you think they expect us to be in fancy clothes?" asked Bloom.

"I asked an older student. She said that students were encouraged to come in their best clothes, but that could mean a lot of things depending on the students," explained Flora.

"Hmm, then I think I'll see if I can't buy something in town. Got my first allowance yesterday after all," mumbled Bloom.

"Never been to a fancy party before I take it," guessed Musa.

"Not really. A couple of birthdays a year and the occasional garden party arranged by my parents. Nothing fancy," admitted Bloom.

...

After another bus ride, a wave of students spilled out into Magicalis. Bloom waved goodbye to her cluster mates and headed down the main street.

"Alright, should probably buy some dishes first," said Bloom to herself, looking at the paper again. "A lot of dishes. Makes a lot of sense I guess. Two schools after all. But what kind of dishes". She rubbed her chin for a bit, then said: "I know. Mom and Dad used those disposable cardboard plates for my birthdays and the garden get-togethers. They're probably also really cheap here". That's when she noticed that the people around her was noticing her enthusiastic conversation with herself. "Sorry, just thinking out loud," said Bloom with an embarrassed smile while hastily reddening.

...

After having placed an order for a lot of cardboard dishes at a place called Magimart, Bloom hurried through town to find herself a dress. Most stores where rather expensive, but even the cheap ones would eat more out of her allowance than she was comfortable with. As she rounded a corner, she noticed the lifesaving sight of a 'Sale' sign in the window of a 'Threads of thread' store. She hurried inside the store, a small, cosy shop with a chequered floor, and started digging through the big bins with clothes on sale. As she started to dig through a random bin, she was painfully aware of the hasty passage of time. She had been told that she had to be back at the school by five and she had already spent plenty of time on just finding a place to buy clothes. In her rising panic, she accidentally flung a red dress over her shoulder. Bloom turned to pick it up, but noticed to her horror that it had landed on another shopper.

"Omigosh, ohmisgosh, sorry sorry sorry," gasped Bloom in shock.

"Huh," sounded a voice from beneath the cloth. "A little overeager are we?" The customer removed the dress, revealing her face. She was not very tall, but somewhat broad, giving her a very square build, although Bloom quickly noticed that the woman wasn't overweight, just solidly built. She wore a big pair of round glasses and had pointy ears that Bloom had learned meant she was a short elf. Or perhaps a tall leprechaun.

"Sorry," repeated Bloom as she put the dress bag in the bin. "I just have half an hour to get back to the bus and I wanted to buy a new dress first".

"First year student?" asked the woman. She had a very sweet, high-pitched voice, soft, like the verbal equivalent of down.

"Yes, on Alfea," said Bloom, digging through another bin.

"I see. If I were you, I'd take a deep breath. The way you're ripping through those bins, you're really not taking the time to judge those clothes properly," commented the woman.

Bloom stopped for a bit, then said: "I guess you're right. I'm just on a time limit".

"No excuses," said the woman with a headshake. "You're doing yourself a disfavour. You could easily miss a fitting dress. Like this one. Perfect fit for your size," she continued, pulling out a blue dress.

"That's... that one's perfect," said Bloom, looking at it.

"See," said the woman with a smile. "But you missed it. It pays to stop up from time to time to take things in. Otherwise, you'll miss something important". With those words, she handed the dress over to Bloom.

"Thank you so much, miss...?" asked Bloom.

"Belisma. Xiomara Belisma. Chef and marks-mistress of Red Fountain" said the woman, shaking Bloom's hand. "That means I teach the students in long range weaponry," she explained, adjusting her glasses.

"Oh. Does that mean you'll be at the party?" asked Bloom.

"Sure. Someone has to keep them young ones in line. Well, not too much in line. Wouldn't be a party then," said the woman with a grin. "Now you better hurry back to that bus. Would be a shame if you were to miss the celebration".

"Yes, thank you again," said Bloom and hurried for the desk.

...

Back home, Bloom hurried into her newly bought dress. It was a light blue one-piece with an uneven skirt, see-through sleeves and a blue ribbon to be tied around her stomach.

"Well, how do I look?" asked Bloom, turning towards Kiko. The guinea pig answered by continuing to eat a strange grey potato-like thing, Flora had identified as safe to eat for the animal.

"I know. It's like it was made for me," continued Bloom, admiring herself in her mirror. "Now I just need some music for them to play". She quickly found her CD collection and finally settled on her Britney Spears CD's. It took her quite a while to settle for just one song, but in the end, she chose 'Oops I did it again', not only due to personal taste but she also guessed it would suit the other students at her age. Or at least, so she hoped.

"Do you think they'll like it?" she asked, turning to her pet once more. "I mean, I have no idea what music they play around here. Then again, we have students from several different worlds, so I guess the music's going to be quite varied too". She stared at the CD casing for a moment. "Do they even use CDs?" she pondered again. "I can't assume that. I better go ask Techna about it, she probably knows about this. Well, goodnight Kiko. I'll probably be away for the rest of the evening". With those words, she went out of her apartment and went over to Techna's and Musa's. She knocked and didn't have to wait long before the black haired girl opened.

"Hello Bloom. Nice dress," she said as she opened the door.

"Thanks. You look good to," replied Bloom earnestly. Musa was wearing a red turtleneck sweater and a knee length knitted shirt.

"Thanks. My grandmother made them for me," she said happily. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm not sure what they're going to play the music on, so I figured Techna might be able to tell me," said the redhead, showing her CD case.

"I bet she could. Huh, Spears. Never heard of her," said Musa as the two of them headed into the apartment.

"Not surprising," said Bloom.

The black haired girl knocked on what Bloom assumed was Techna's door.

"Just a moment," sounded the magenta haired girl's voice. She opened the door and said: "Hi Musa. 'Ello Bloom. Nice threads. Bought them today?"

"Yep. Lucky find in a bargain bin," said Bloom as the scarred girl invited them into her room. Techna's room was a mess, though Bloom had a feeling that Techna herself had no problem navigating it. Machine parts, clothes and various other stuff was strewn across the room.

"Did a grenade go off while I was out?" asked Musa.

"Nah, just trying to figure out what my best clothes are," said Techna nonchalantly. "So, what can I do for ya?"

"Well, I have this here CD with music on. And I had no idea if they were compatible with whatever the school uses," said Bloom.

Techna opened the CD case and studied it. After a moment, she said: "Well, it looks compatible enough. But that all depends on the data. Give me a sec and I'll have it scanned". She went over to her computer, a big hulking monstrosity made of different parts with a thick net of equally mismatched cables, giving the thing a Frankenstein look.

"Where did you get that thing?" asked Bloom as Techna popped the CD in.

"Build it myself, one part at the time. My best computer to date. It hasn't even caught on fire once," said Techna proudly. As if provoked, the machine gave a horribly stuttering noise that reminded Bloom of a bear. Both she and Musa immediately stepped backwards, though Techna didn't even seem to hear it. "Welp, bad news. Data is not compatible with ordinary formats," said Techna, reading something on the screen. "Luckily, it can be fixed".

"How?" asked Bloom.

"Well, I could link up with a couple of net buddies, have them help me write a decoding and conversion program and then pray that it will come out properly," she said. "Shouldn't take more than a couple of months". After a short pause, she continued with: "Or, I could do this". Her finger glowed green and she lightly tapped her computer tower. Instantly, the patchwork monstrosity roared to life and started chugging like a steam train. Without even a look of worry, the scarred girl immediately grabbed two fans, placed them by her computer and turned them on.

"Is that safe?" asked Musa as she and Bloom slowly stepped away from the noisy machine.

"Relatively. As long as I keep it cool we shouldn't risk a meltdown," explained Techna. "Alright, you'll have usable music in a couple of minutes, so until then, I'm quite curious. On what world do you get software like this?"

"Well..." started Bloom slowly. "Alright, you've all probably noticed some weird things about me. See, I'm actually from the planet Earth".

"Neat" said Techna delighted. "What is that?"

"I remember it being brought up in history once or twice," said Musa. "Something about a kingdom of fairies being brought down by the Dark Circle and then the world was sealed or something".

"Still neat," said Techna.

"So yeah, because of that, I'm kinda new to everything," said Bloom.

"That's okay. If you have any trouble, feel free to come by and ask," said Musa. "Now, you'll have to excuse me. I still haven't picked my music for the evening".

"Ah, there we go," said Techna triumphantly. "All done. Now my rig just needs a chance to cool down". She handed the CD back to Bloom and said: "The girl who mans the music for tonight is over in cluster eight. Name's Maria. Just tell her what number the song is and she'll handle the rest".

"Thanks," said Bloom as she went out the door. "See you later tonight".

"See ya," came the reply.

...

About an hour later, Bloom found herself standing amongst many other first year students before the big doors that would lead to the banquet hall. Bloom had only seen it twice, always empty due to the lack of banqueting, so she really looked forward to see it in all its splendour now. The banquet hall was located in the back of Alfea, being shaped like an overturned bowl with one side being nothing but a giant window where one could look into the garden areas that lay behind Alfea.

As the redhead eagerly checked her watch again, waiting for the clock to strike six, she heard the familiar voice of Techna behind her, saying: "There you are gal. You certainly look eager".

Bloom turned to greet her, but found herself muted at the sight of Techna's choice of clothing. She was wearing an only slightly moth eaten red uniform, a top hat and an assortment of rainbow coloured plastic bracelets on both arms.

"That's... a very... interesting choice of clothing," said Bloom slowly, trying desperately to not offend Techna.

"Thanks," replied the girl with a smile. "I choose only my best pieces for occasions such as this".  
"Well, a person's clothes does say a lot about them," said another voice.

Bloom turned and saw Musa and Flora make their way through the crowd. Tonight, Flora had donned a pink dress with black knee length leggings and she was wearing what Bloom identified as ballet slippers. She had also let her hair down and now it flowed like a caramel waterfall over her shoulders.

"Nice ta see ya let your hair down, girl," said Techna, playfully wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "So, ready to partay".

"Well, I did not wear this purely for the fun of it," said Flora.

Suddenly, the sound of a bell rung through the halls and the great doors opened. The eager students rushed in to see the hall. And then they stopped, frozen in a mixture of surprise and disbelief, the silence only broken by Techna's exclamation of: "Awesome!"

Several big tables had been placed in the room, draped in everything from rainbow dotted paper to tasteful red cloth. Cardboard plates were surrounded by solid iron cutlery and wine glasses, the tables decorated with streamers, little paper lamps, poppers, romantic candles and small figurines. Balloons floated gently under the roof, side by side with disco balls. Nothing in the room came even close to fitting with one another.

"That's irony for you. Turns out Techna is the one with the most appropriate dress," mumbled Musa.

At that moment, another set of double doors opened and the staff entered, followed by the other students.

"Well, take your seats," gestured Faragonda to the shocked first years.

As Bloom scanned the staff, she saw that both Palladium and Wizgiz were absolutely delighted at the décor, whereas Griselda had an unreadable stone face and Avalon looked completely confused. As Bloom looked for her seat, she heard the man ask Griselda: "Why does nothing match in here?"

The deputy just sighed and said: "It never does. Get used to it. At least there's no live animals this year".

"Wouldn't it make sense then to give the students some guidelines?" asked the teacher in disbelief.

"I once asked the headmistress the same. She claimed it wouldn't be nearly as fun," sighed Griselda as she sat down at the staff's table.

When Bloom finally found her spot amongst the many chairs, she noted a small piece of paper on her dish. As she picked it up, she saw it read: "Q: What did the typhoon say to the palm tree. A: Hang on to your nuts, this is no ordinary blowjob". Bloom found her cheeks heating up, turning the same colour as her hair. She looked around at the other students, seeing very mixed reactions. Flora merely raised an eyebrow, Musa sighed and Techna was eagerly sharing her card with the fairy next to her.

At the teachers table, DuFour had practically become one with her scarlet clothing due to blushing, Palladium had to support Wizgiz to prevent the laughing leprechaun from falling out of his chair, Avalon's face was stuck between a desire to act with dignity and to purify his card with fire, while Griselda looked like she was putting all her willpower into staying in the room.

"Hey, Flora," called Bloom to the brunette, who was two seats away from her. "What did you pick again?"

"The cutlery," she answered. "Solid, ease of use, can easily be used in self defence if necessary".

"How often do you need to defend yourself at a banquet?" asked Bloom.

"Depends on where you are having one," answered Flora with a shrug.

"Last year, I picked authentic solar lamps for the party. Everyone had to wear sunglasses," chuckled Stella, as she sat down in the chair across from Bloom. She was wearing a very expensive looking orange ball gown with lots of glitter on it.

"So, it's usually like this?" asked Bloom.

"Yep. At least, that's what the older students and teachers told me," said Stella, gazing at the clock. "They kindly ask us older students to not say anything. Part of the tradition I gather".

After a short pause, Flora leaned forward and asked: "Why so interested in the clock?"

"Because..." started Stella, but she stopped when the sound of marching feet could be heard. "Right on the clock. They're good".

"Who are they?" asked Bloom.

The big double doors opened and in marched dozens of Red Fountain students, all clad in matching black gala uniforms. Leading them was a very elderly looking man with grey hair, his back slightly crooked. He walked with the support of a golden metal staff, its top fashioned after what Bloom imagined a dragon's head would look like, a purple orb in its mouth. Still, the students behind him never had to slow down. By his side marched a mountain of a man, muscular and massive, with brown hair, bushy eyebrows and a goatee-sideburns combo on his face. Behind the first wave of Red Fountain students was a line of what Bloom assumed to be three teachers, based on her recognition of Belisma. By her sides marched two leprechauns, a bald female and a very muscular male with a full beard and wild hair with the colour of hay. Behind them marched another group of students, four of them carrying two very large trunks. Bloom recognised the blond Brandon as one of the carriers.  
"Alright ladies. Go find your seats," bellowed the massive man. The students immediately split up in a way less organised fashion, looking for their respective places. The Red Fountain staff made their way to the teacher's table, the elderly man warmly greeting Faragonda, the massive man giving Palladium a pat on the back, that almost sent the elf face first into the table and Belisma was chatting with DuFuor.

As the latest batch of students began finding their places, the double doors opened and in marched Chef SeFogelia with dozens of plates full of food flying behind him. As usual, Bloom didn't know what any of it was, but most of it vaguely reminded her of food from her home world, so she figured it would be okay.

The students eagerly started eating the various dishes. Bloom tried something that looked like ham, although it tasted very sweet and sugary, along with something that looked like oversized peas and a purple sauce that made her tongue tingle.

She was pondering whether or not she would ever want to know what she was eating when she noticed two things. First of all, two other trunks had at some point been brought into the room, though she hadn't seen when. Probably when the older students came in she figured. Second, despite two schools worth of students, there were still a lot of empty seats. "Do you think there's a lot of people who don't want to go to the party?" she finally asked Flora.

"I do not know. There are far too many empty chairs. Plus, the way Stella keeps looking at the clock makes me think something else is going to happen," noted the brunette.

Stella immediately looked away from the clock, trying to look as if it would be impossible for her to be less interested in the clock.

"You know something, don't you?" asked Bloom, narrowing her eyes.

"I may or may not know something about hypothetical later events which I am not at liberty to elaborate on even if I knew anything about said theoretical happenings," answered the princess.

"You are going to be a good politician," remarked Flora dryly.

"Thanks," answered the blonde, now looking at the clock again.

"No, seriously, what's going to..." continued Bloom, but was interrupted by one of the double doors being blown open.

"THE PARTY BUS HAS ARRIVED!" yelled a girl, as she and several other young people stormed the room, fireworks and air horns going off in a storm of noise and colour.

Bloom immediately looked around in a panic, but then the boy next to her said: "Don't worry, this happens every year".

Their teacher Avalon had jumped out of his chair at the sudden intrusion, starring in wide eyed disbelief at the people storming the hall. That's when he heard Palladium say: "They are rather early this year".

"Wait, we were expecting them?" he asked the elf in surprise.

"Oh yes. That's the students from Cloud Tower. They come uninvited and crash the party every year. It's tradition," said Wizgiz happily.

"But, if they're going to show up anyway and be welcome, why not just invite them?" asked Avalon.

Palladium and Wizgiz stared at each other for a moment, then the elf asked, in a voice indicating he found this painfully obvious: "How would they crash the party if we invited them?"

Avalon just stared at the two of them as if pumpkins had started growing out of their ears.

Bloom noted that these students also brought along two trunks and that they were accompanied by several older people that made their way to the staff table. She felt herself calm a lot at the sight of the warm welcome they received.

"Well, I suppose now the party can begin in earnest, now that the esteemed witches of Cloud Tower has arrived," said Faragonda, as the new guests found places to sit. "But first, the traditional exchange of gifts". She clapped her hands and all six trunks opened up, small items floating out into the room. Two landed by Bloom. One was a multicoloured orange egg, the other a small wand. As she touched the egg, butterflies of light shot out and started fluttering all over the place. Then she gave the wand a swing, mostly for the fun of it, resulting in the sound of a trumpet and a small cloud of confetti being shot into Stella's face.

"Sorry," said Bloom as she lowered the item.

"That's okay," sighed Stella as she carefully fished the colourful paper out of her hair.

Bloom looked around to see what the others had gotten. The witches had received purple eggs that send out clouds of shadowy bats and small animated witch figurines that could spew confetti out of their hands. The specialists had received wands that shot out firework-like light with a bang and small warrior figurines that could do small tricks.

"And now, let the music begin," said Faragonda.

The fairy Maria started the music, that managed to play for five seconds and go through seven curse words before Avalon managed to get up there. Bloom had to admit that despite his ageing look, the man was fast. He immediately fiddled with the console, much to the annoyance of the fairy managing the booth and much to the amusement of the rest of the staff. The man went through seven songs before he found something he could tolerate. In the meantime, the witches had brought in cooled boxes of what Bloom assumed to be alcohol that was eagerly shared with the other students.

Slowly, the orderly placements of the students dissolved as various students talked, danced, shared drinks and so on. Bloom started by eating some food, when Sky sat down beside her.

"How's it going Stella? Any ogres in your life lately?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. The same one in fact," sighed Stella. "We suspect he's hired by some witches, but there's no evidence of who they were".

"Wow. And here I was joking," said the prince shocked.  
"Yeah. On that note, I heard your teachers didn't like you guys playing heroes," continued Stella with a grin.

"Well, they were royally pissed at us until we managed to explain the situation. Then they decided to be reasonable and just be pissed at Brandon instead. He's got many weeks of stable duty before him," explained Sky. "So, Bloom was it? How are you doing?"

"Great for the most part. Only the occasional bout of homesickness, plus I'm never sure what I'm eating," replied Bloom.

"I know that feeling. They never serve anything from my home either," chuckled Sky.

"So, where are you from?" asked Bloom.

"The planet Sparx. Specifically the realm of Eraklyon. A nice place, as long as you don't mind the cold," answered the brunette.

The three of them passed the time with some small talk, from which Bloom learned that the elderly man was the Red Fountain's master, Menefer Saladin and that the big guy was his right hand, dragonhandler and armsmaster Modesto Cordatorta. As time passed, the party started getting wilder and wilder as more and more students got more and more alcohol in them. As Bloom chatted away, she suddenly noticed someone in the back of the room. Someone with very long white hair. Bloom gasped, but the girl quickly disappeared in the throng of students.

"What is it?" asked Stella, looking over her shoulder.

"I swear I just saw one of the girls from Magicalis," said Bloom nervously.

"Hmm, I don't see her," said the blonde as she scouted through the people. "If she's here, she has disappeared into the crowd".

"Maybe it was nothing then," said Bloom, feeling her throat dry up. "I'm going to go look for something to drink".

The music was steadily becoming rougher, mostly due to the fact that the console refused to respond to Avalon's inputs and in fact played raspberry sounds when he tried, which Bloom later learned was Techna's doing. Which was pretty impressive considering the girl at this point had trouble merely coordinating her feet. Bloom watched in bemusement as the scarred girl stumbled into a specialist while attempting to dance, while the redhead was sampling some sort of fruit juice that had been brought in in a big bowl. It had a very sweet taste that reminded Bloom of something between strawberry and blueberry. Feeling very happy, she skipped over to where Flora was sitting with a red-haired girl. She was very pale with freckles and she wore a torn white shirt and a black vest.

"Hello there, Bloom," greeted the brunette.

"Hello," greeted the girl.

"Hey," said Bloom a bit slurred. "So, who's your friend there, Flora?"

"This is Mirta. She is one of the party crashers sent by Cloud Tower," explained Flora.  
"I didn't do that much crashing to be honest," admitted Mirta, struggling to be heard over the sound of a spellcasting duel that had started. And was going to be stopped again if Griselda's expression as she marched towards the teens was any suggestion. "I was supposed to throw toilet paper all over your bushes, but I only did it on two of them, so there wouldn't be too much to clean up tomorrow".

"That's nice," said Bloom. "You too have fun. I'm still feeling thirsty".

"I am sure we will have plenty of fun," replied Flora as Bloom waltzed back over to the drink. As she weaved between the students flailing around trying to dance, she noticed several fairies, witches and specialists had set up an impromptu orchestra. By the sound of it, they were having a major headache trying to figure out not only a song that they all knew, but that would involve all the randomly assembled instruments. Including a kazoo, a tuba, a keyboard, a very drunk singer and Musa on a trumpet.

Eagerly, Bloom started to refill her glass and cast another look over the banquet hall as she took another sip of the fruity drink. Palladium was dancing with one of the Cloud Tower teachers, a rather scarred woman by the name of Zarathustra. Avalon and Wizgiz were dragging a fainted student away, probably to the hospital wing. Some students where sneaking out in couples, probably looking to have fun away from prying eyes, while others had set up an impromptu market for exchanging the traditional gifts with one another. It all seemed very delightful and funny to Bloom as she downed her ninth cup of the juice. As she prepared her tenth, she felt a poke on her shoulder. She turned, almost dropping the glass in the process and after a moment, recognised a worried looking Stella.

"Stella," exclaimed Bloom happily. "What... what can I do for you?"

"Bloom. You know that's very alcoholic, right?" asked Stella concerned.

Bloom starred a moment at the glass, then exclaimed: "Oh my gosh, I'm drunk".

"Easy now girl," exclaimed Stella and caught her as the redhead stumbled. "Don't worry, it's okay, it could happen to anyone".

"I didn't... I didn't mean to," mumbled Bloom, suddenly feeling dizzy.

"And that's totally okay. They never put, like, labels on these things, so your tots not the first student to make that mistake," said Stella in a calm voice as she helped Bloom through the halls. With help from the Solarian princess, Bloom managed to stagger back to their cluster through the halls, which were now full of toilet paper, confetti, junk and the sounds of students fooling around in various ways.

"Thanks," mumbled Bloom as they finally arrived at her apartment.  
"No problem. Just be glad you don't have to spend the night in the hospital wing. It's, like, going to smell like... well, something I tots wouldn't mention in polite company," said the blonde as she helped the redhead down on her bed.

"Thanks, you're a... real..." mumbled Bloom as she fell asleep.

...

The next day, the first thought that hit Bloom was that somebody had sneaked into her room and was hitting her head with a baseball bat. The next thought was the realization that the pain was in fact not from a bat, but from a headache. The next thought was that her mouth tasted like she had been licking the floor all night long. Then the rest of her body started sending error messages and Bloom started to long for the blissful embrace of merciful death.

As the redhead stumbled out of the apartment in the clothes she had slept in, she noticed a fresh looking Stella drinking a coffee like substance at the table.

"How are you feeling?" asked the blonde cheerfully.

"Could you shoot me? Please?" replied the redhead.

"That's totally a normal reaction for a first timer," said Stella with a bemused smirch. "Flora said she had something for hangovers, but she hasn't returned yet".

"Why?" Bloom asked as she carefully lowered herself into a chair.

"Well, she called half an hour ago and explained she had gone home with someone from Cloud Tower. She said she would be back later," explained Stella, sipping her drink.

"Why the heck are you up so bright and early anyway?" questioned Bloom, feeling a tinge of jealousy. "Did you just not drink anything?"

"Actually, I did get a couple glasses of the milder stuff," said Stella. "Plus, I can absorb energy from sunlight. Helps me get up in the morning". She rose up and helped Bloom out of her chair. "Come here," said the Solarian princess. "Some fresh air always helps. I'd ask Musa to join us, but she made it pretty clear that if I tried to wake her up, she would totally send me face first out the nearest window". After a short pause, she added: "And with that face she made, I am pretty sure she meant it".

"What about Techna?" asked Bloom as the two of them made for the cluster doors.

"No idea," said the Blonde with a shrug.

As the two of them wandered the halls, Bloom noticed not only teachers and a few students cleaning the place, but also several small winged humanoids. "Are they the pixies?" asked Bloom as they passed by a bunch of zombie looking students, who were wandering back from the hospital wing.

"Yep. Friendly bunch, although they can have a bit of a one track mind," said Stella.

As they rounded a corner, they suddenly heard loud yelling from a nearby door.

"GET OUT, GET OUT! NOW!" somebody yelled, before the doors flew open. A half dressed Techna jumped out and ducked as a shoe flew through the air, followed by a specialist with pants on his head and a girl in biker-like clothing in one arm and a load of clothes in the other, followed by a second, pantsless specialist who was using his cape to cover his nethers.

"OH DEAR DRAGON, I HAVE TO BURN MY BED NOW!" somebody yelled hysterically from the room as the doors where shut.

"I thought you said that this was your room," said the pants on head specialist.

"I thought it was my room. My key even worked. Well, that or the door was never locked," said the scarred girl with a shrug as she picked up her remaining clothes.

"Well, despite the rather rude awakening, I'd say it's been fun," said the biker girl.

"Yeah, me too. Now can I have my pants back, people are starring?" asked the pantsless specialist.

"Call me if you want another 'party'," said Techna as she waved goodbye to the three. As she turned away from them, she noticed Bloom and Stella starring at her.

"What?" asked the girl.

"The hell have you been doing?" asked Bloom.

"Those three," said Techna and pointed with her thumb.

Bloom started blushing again and Stella said: "Alright, let's just keep it at that. This is getting dangerously close to TMI territory".

"Suit yourself," said the magenta haired girl with a shrug while adjusting her top hat. "So, where are the two of you going?"

"Outside. Bloom accidentally drank too much Grupplewine, so she has a hangover" explained Stella.

"Cool. I got one too," said Techna excited.

"I could sure use something cool right now," mumbled Bloom.

"I think you will have to settle for the morning breeze for now," said Stella as the three of them walked towards the gardens.


	4. Melmamora

Chapter 4: Melmamora

The day after, things had returned to its normal routine. Flora had returned from Cloud Tower, claimed the place was nice and confirmed that she indeed did have a fun night there. Musa had recovered from the ordeal of trying to help direct such a disorganised orchestra in the middle of an ongoing party with half the members so drunk they didn't know what was up and down on their instruments, which she described as akin to directing a flock of dimwitted sheep during an earthquake. Bloom's headache had disappeared like dew before the sun after Flora had given her her hangover cure. The fact that it was also a mild laxative didn't nearly bother Bloom as much as the constant oppressive feeling of having her brain in a vice. And so, Bloom found herself yet again eating unfamiliar food in the dining hall, when, accompanied by a sense of Deja Vu, Faragonda rose from her seat and announced her intention to speak by knocking on her glass with a teaspoon.

"Tomorrow, dear students, is the day of the annual Alfea Wild Walk, a trip out into nature. This is an experience for the entire school and it will involve you cooperating with everyone else in your cluster. Mr. Palladium will be awaiting you in the yard at ten tomorrow. Remember to dress for the occasion". With that, the headmistress sat down again.

Bloom returned to her breakfast, silently wondering if giving the students a weekly schedule was some sort of in-joke on the staff's part.

...

The next day at ten in the morning, the students of Alfea assembled in the courtyard where the elvish teacher Jarlan was awaiting them. Bloom had spent the day before in Magicalis, trying to buy whatever would count as 'dress for the occasion'. In her case, that meant rubber boots, big waterproof suspenders that where one size too big for her and a jacket that could keep a tsunami out, plus gloves and a hat with netting to keep insects out. The redhead felt completely sealed away within her clothes. In fact, already she felt herself heating up. She hoped that bringing lots of water would compensate.

"I think you might have taken the instructions a tad bit too far," sounded the voice of Stella when she noticed Bloom. The Solarian princess was very much Bloom's opposite, with khaki coloured shorts and jacket, with a fashionable flat hat on top.

"You think?" asked Bloom worried.

"Yeah. We're going on a nice trip to Velmera Woods, not a jungle safari," chuckled Stella. "Though your tots not the only one. Come on, the others are waiting for us".

The two of them walked over to their cluster mates. Flora's choice of clothes was very similar to Blooms, though a lot more form fitting and she didn't look like she was boiling. Also her hat didn't have a net attached. Musa had opted for a jacket, jeans and hiking shoes, most of which were adorned with the colourful laps of fabric that marked most of her wardrobe. As usual, Techna stood out for sheer weirdness. It looked like she was going for something like Bloom, only much more improvised. Her rubber boots didn't match, one of her gloves was actually a catcher's mitt and her hat was a sombrero with a net sewn into it.

"Techna, I simply have to ask, why didn't you go to Magicalis and buy some prober clothes?" Bloom asked the magenta haired girl incredulously.

"Pshaw, not when I got so much stuff to work with," she answered while fiddling with a stitch in her jacket. "I saved a ton of cash mixing this thing together".

"And when the first stiff breeze rips it apart, I'm sure it will bring great comfort to think of all the money you didn't spend," sighed Musa.

"Nah, it'll hold. I fixed up all of them annoying holes with wire," answered Techna.

"Marvellous," replied the black haired girl dryly.

"Man, you're all taking this so seriously," giggled Stella. "It's just a nice trip to the forest".

"Better safe than sorry Stella," said Flora seriously. "I hope you at least brought something waterproof along just in case".

"I checked the weather. At most, Velmera with get some light drizzle, nothing more," said Stella with a hand wave.

"Alright, I think we are all here," sounded the voice of their teacher.

All students turned to face the elf.

"Alright, can everyone hear me? Did you shake your head young man? No? Okay, just wanted to check. Kinda important information," rambled the elf in a mixture of excitement and nervousness. "Alright then, today is the Alfea Wild Walk. It's a sort of, well, sort of a test, except you're not really graded or anything". He rubbed his chin for a bit, allowing an awkward pause to descend as he pondered his words. "Maybe test is not the right word. An exercise maybe? Yes, it's an exercise, to test your flexibility and creativity. As some of you probably know, magic has many well-documented applications, but it's not like there's a big book of spells. Since all magi have their knack and that knack comes in every flavour between heaven and earth, that means the magic expressed is very unique to each individual," explained Palladium, all traces of nervousness melting away the more and more he told. "For that reason, this exercise will bring you out into the wilds. Your goal will be to reach a specific point whilst using all resources available to navigate. It will be a learning experience in not only preparation, but also improvisation in the face of unexpected challenges. Now, everyone get closer and I'll bring us to the location". The students carefully stepped closer to the elven teacher. He pulled from the inner pockets of his green jacket a purple jewel, which he then hoisted into the air. There was a flash, accompanied by the uncomfortable feeling of being gated.

...

At another location, some distance away, perched upon a cliff stood the magnificent structure of the Red Fountain Military Academy. It was a impressive castle structure build of yellowed stone. Thick walls protected its sturdy looking buildings, giving the overall impression that nothing short of the apocalypse would breach its defences. Inside one of its main halls, the imposing form of Modesto Cordatorta stood before the assembled second year students.  
"Alright, listen up," he bellowed to the attending students. "Today, Alfea has its yearly Wild Walk. As always, Faragonda has asked us to provide security in case things go wrong. Each of you will take a ship, fly to the location of their exercise and keep an eye on the proceedings. As it is an exercise in improvisation on their part, you are not, and I repeat, you are NOT to be seen, heard or noticed. You are to remain hidden unless a fairy's life is endangered and then you are to save them and disappear again once you are certain they are okay. Do I make myself clear?"

"YES, SIR," sounded the unified voice of the students.

"Good. The location of their exercise is in..." said Cordatorta while retrieving a letter from his pocket. "... Melmamora".

...

The air was thick with moisture and insects. The surroundings where muddy and grimy, gnarly trees standing in stale pools of rust coloured water. The heat, moisture and smell conspired to make every single breath uncomfortable.

"This... this isn't Velmera," said Stella slowly.

"Of course not. It would defeat the point of an exercise in improvisation if the students knew where they were going," explained Palladium. "Your goal is to find the Gevel Glade. You will recognise it by me being there. Now, everyone, have fun". With that, the elf disappeared, gated away by his magical crystal.

"Well, this is not so bad," commented Flora, staring across the swampy land. "If we presume they named these places with any sense, then the glade will probably be a larger area a bit higher up than this area. We should look for a tree that will enable us to scout our surroundings".

"You sound like your used to this," commented Musa as the different cluster groups spread out into the swamp.

"I am used to much worse," commented the brunette. "Ever been to Limphea?"

"No," answered the black haired girl.

"It is a lot harsher than this," commented Flora.

The group slowly made their way in a random direction, Flora, Bloom and Techna wading into the brown waters of the area, while Musa and Stella tried to jump from rock to rock. Already, swarms of insects started to cloud around them. Bloom could see small black specks attaching themselves to her hat.

She looked behind and saw both Musa and Stella busy swatting the offending insects as they started to nibble on them.

"Hey, Flora. How come they aren't going after you?" asked Musa while smacking a mosquito like thing that had bit her ear.

"I used some oils from my plants. A bit of a gamble since there was no guarantee it would also work on insects in this world, but I prefer to have my vision not be obscured," explained Flora.

"Great. Can I get some of that next time, because what I'm using is not working," grumbled Musa. "Honestly, this is the last time I..."

The group came to an abrupt halt as Flora suddenly raised her hand to signal them to stop.

"What is it now?" asked Stella annoyed.

"Look at that large pool ahead of us. Notice anything?" asked Flora.

"It's bubbly," commented Techna.

"Exactly. I bet that those bubbles are filled with swamp gas," commented Flora. "It could be everything from flammable to toxic to thick enough to choke us to death".

"So what I'm hearing you say is that we go around," said Bloom.

"Couldn't we just light it on fire?" asked Techna.

"We have no idea how far the ensuing explosion will spread. Will depend on dispersion, gas type and so on," explained Flora. "Let's go this way instead. We will need to find a sufficiently big tree with branches low enough for us to climb".

...

At a location far away from Melmamora, in the woods outside the imposing structure of Cloud Tower, three witches met.

"So, how did it go Darcy?" asked the silver haired girl.

The dirty-blonde witch sighed as the three of them walked through the woods and said: "I would recommend we still keep a low profile Icy. They are still suspicious. But I do not think we are any more under scrutiny than anyone else".

"So why don't we just get Knut ready to get that damn sceptre now?" grumbled the red clad witch.

"Because three ogre attacks in a row will definitely set off major alarm bells, Stormy," commented Darcy.

"Especially since I am pretty sure that Bloom girl recognised me at the party," mumbled Icy. "We are very much on thin ice at the moment".

Stormy huffed annoyed and crossed her arms.

"Our next move will require planning. Underestimating Stella and her entourage has done nothing but set us back. We must take them seriously," mused Darcy.

"Hmph, we could have taken them if they hadn't pissed their panties and gated out," grumbled Stormy. "Or if that idiot Knut hadn't fucked up both times".

"Do you think going out here to meet our ogre is going to rouse suspicion?" asked Icy.

"No. The other students have noticed us going out, but I have helped spread rumours that should make it seem somewhat innocent," explained Darcy.

"And what rumours would those be?" asked Icy.

"The most popular ones are we are either going out to smoke dreamweed or meeting up with our boy slash girlfriends from either Red Fountain or Alfea," explained Darcy. "Or that we are going out here to have sex".

"Of course that would be one of them," sighed Icy and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Stormy made a face and commented: "No offence, but I have abso-fucking-lutely no intentions of locking lips with you two".

"Much appreciated," said Darcy dryly. "Ah, we have arrived. Knut," she called into the glade before them.

"Right here my ladies," sounded a voice behind them. Reflexively, the three witches spun around, magic already charging. There stood the hulking form of the ogre Knut, cradling something in his hand. He looked much better now that his eye had regrown and his numerous other injuries had healed.

"Do you always have to fucking sneak up on us?" asked Stormy annoyed as she let the charged energy dissipate.

"Thousand apologies my ladies, but you walked past me two minutes ago," said the ogre.

"Great, now that..." started Icy, but then she looked at Knut's hand. "What is that?" she asked after a short pause.

"Nothing but my humble duck, my ladies," said the ogre, holding forth his hand. Indeed, a small duckling lay in his hand, looking quite calm and content.

"You have got to be joking," mumbled Stormy.

"Is this a pet of yours?" asked Darcy.

"Yes my ladies. Found him near the lake not long ago," said Knut, gently petting the bird.

"You're not being serious," said Icy, staring at him. "You are not seriously going to be keeping a duck as a pet".

In an instant, the servility in Knut's eyes vanished and his voice, now a lot harder, informed her that: "The duck stays".

Icy looked out the corner of her eyes at Darcy, who just nodded.

"Alright, so long as it doesn't interfere, I suppose it will not be a problem," said Icy. "Now, did you do as we ordered?"

"It was not easy, but yes," answered the ogre, his voice now back to the softness of a cowed minion. "Stella regularly talks with Skye and his squire Brandon. If the things I overheard are true, then she and Sky might really like each other".

"Good. Then I have a plan," said Darcy with a calculating glimmer in her eyes.

...

Above the swamps of Melmamora there floated a vehicle. It was of orange and yellow colours, shaped a bit like a space shuttle and flew with nary a sound. Within it sat the four specialists Sky, Brandon, Timmy and Riven. Riven was at the steering wheel, lazily scanning the horizon while Timmy was looking at a scanner, talking over the radio. Sky and Brandon passed the time with a card game.

"Alright, so you're taking care of the group that's currently at coordinates fifteen, seven? Good, then we will fly north," answered Timmy into the radio. He turned in his seat and said: "Hey Riven. Vivi and her group is handling the fairies ahead".

"Then I guess we go north," sighed Riven before slightly turning the steering wheel. "Dear Dragon, I hate babysitting duty".

"All part of the job," commented Sky.

"Don't remind me," grumbled the magenta haired warrior.

"This is Timmy from group B five. There's a group of faeries around coordinates fifteen nine, anyone keeping an eye on them?" asked Timmy over the radio. After a short pause, he turned and said: "No one's keeping an eye on them. I say we land and follow".

"Sure, why not," said Riven without the slightest hint of interest as he made the craft descend.

"So, how many group's are still without followers?" asked Sky, turning to look at the bespectacled warrior.

"Well, once B nine, B six and B twelve catches up with their groups, no one" answered Timmy, adjusting his glasses.

...

"My skin is all itchy from bites," moaned Stella, scratching her arm.

"Heard you the first time Blondie," said Techna, who was trying to fix the stitches keeping her clothes together.

"And my shoes have been ruined from all the mud," griped the Solarian princess.

"Just like they were five minutes ago," commented Musa, idly scratching the bumps on her neck.

"And I think I'm getting sunburnt," gasped the blonde, staring at her reddening arm.

"Gee, would that have anything to do with the fact that you didn't bring prober clothing?" snapped Bloom, who was busy downing an entire bottle of water.

Stella huffed and said: "I'm just not feeling so well".

"Oh yes. I can see how you must suffer so much more than the rest of us. I mean, Techna's clothes are falling apart, Musa has been turned into an insect buffet and I am almost boiling inside this crappy piece of junk clothing, but no, clearly you, who had the best possible opportunity to buy prober equipment, must be suffering the most," ranted the red head, who had jumped to her feet. Big droplets of sweat where gliding down her beat red face.

"Okay so I screwed up. Tots doesn't mean I can't complain," yelled Stella back.

"Like you did five minutes ago. And five minutes before that. If I have to hear about your muddy shoes one more time, I'll..." yelled Bloom back, before Musa interrupted with a: "ENOUGH!"

Both of the girls stopped and stared at the black haired girl.

"Thank you. Now that I got your attention, how about both of you take a deep breath because the last thing we need is you two trying to beat the snot out of each other. Got it?" asked Musa annoyed.

"Yeah, sorry about that. It's just the heat getting to me," said Bloom, awkwardly trying to scratch her neck.

"Yeah, me too. You're right, I was dumb not to bring anything and, like, as you said, I'm not the only one who has problems," admitted Stella.

"Now kiss and make up," exclaimed Techna happily.

The blonde and the redhead both starred at her for a moment.

"Flora, are you done yet?" called Bloom, looking up into the branches of the great tree they had stopped beneath.

"As a matter of fact, I am," sounded the brunette's voice. There was a creaking sound as one of the branches lowered, letting Flora down on the mossy ground. With a swift movement, she put her binoculars back in her backpack.

"So?" asked Musa.

"I saw something that might be a meadow north west from here. A bit of a walk, but we should be able to get there before sundown," answered Flora.

"Good, then let's get moving," said Bloom and the girls started wandering deeper into the swamp with Flora leading them.

...

Roughly twenty minutes later, the girls were still wading through the swamp, seemingly no closer to the meadow. Bloom tried to keep herself cool with a small mechanical fan Techna had handed her, but her tongue was dried up and her throat felt like sandpaper. None of the others looked better. Musa was starting to look bumpy from the insects bites, Stella had lost a shoe to a mud pool and Techna's clothes were only held together with pieces of vine, some tape and prayers. The only one who seemed somewhat unaffected was Flora, but that appeared to be more due to the fact that she was better able to bear the discomfort, as she still bore marks of exhaustion, her sweat matted hair clinging to her face.

"Does anyone have any trick that could make this easier on us?" moaned Bloom hoarsely.

"I could conjure some soothing music," suggested Musa. "Could help on morale".

"You know what, go for it girl. A jiggy tune might be just what we need to get through this junk," said Techna happily.

Musa rubbed her chin for a moment, then snapped her fingers. Instantly, a jaunty tune began playing from seemingly out of nowhere.

Flora instantly turned around and said: "I do not think that is a good idea".

"Why?" asked Stella.

"Lots of things hunt by sound. Playing music loudly like that is asking for trouble," explained Flora.

"Come on. What the worst that couAARRRGGG!" yelled Stella as a massive green vine wrapped around her leg. "GET OFF!"

The other girls moved instantly to help her. Bloom barely managed to take a step before a similar vine got hold of her ankle, causing her to trip and fall face first into the stinking bog. Several vines lowered from the overhead branches and lashed out after Musa and Techna. One managed to grasp Techna's arm and hoisted her into the air.

"Oh no, you don't. I ain't given you no permission to touch," grumbled the scarred girl while struggling against the plant.

The bog was now churning as more and more vines whipped through the surface. Flora leapt to the side as one launched for her. As it passed by her face, she lashed out with her hand and grabbed it. Focusing her magic into the plant, she sensed what it was, images and sensory input flooding into her mind, painting a picture of the being she was touching.

"It can feel sound," she yelled to the others. "This plant. It hunts by feeling where sound waves are coming from".

Stella, who had just scorched a plant with a concentrated solar laser, looked up and yelled: "That's great. Now what?"

"We have to stop making noise," yelled Flora back.

There was a strange buzzing sound and with a yell, Techna fell back to the ground. In her hand was what looked like a switch-blade, only instead of a knife it was a small chainsaw.

"Pretty hard thing to do when they keep attacking us," she yelled.

"Maybe not," shouted Musa, who was trying to pull Bloom out of a vine's grasp. "I'll handle it":

She focused and snapped her finger. A weird wave seemed to hit the group and instantaneously, all sound vanished. It was a weird, isolating feeling, to suddenly have every sound stop like that. The plant froze, suddenly deprived of its only way to track prey.

Musa waved to Techna, who ran over and forced the miniature saw into the vine holding Bloom. The vine spasmed as it sensed the harm, before finally being cut through. Quickly, Flora directed them through the remaining vines, using her magic to sense where they lay in wait. After a while, she sensed that the plants where far behind them and she signalled to Musa, who let the sound blocking spell down.

"Whev, good job there Musa," sighed Stella, dusting off her clothes.

"I agree. For a moment there, I thought we were goners," sighed Bloom, trying to clean her muddy face with her sleeve. "This is insane. Why would they drop us out here in such a dangerous place without help?"

...

Carefully, Riven let go of the handle of his sword. Beside him, Timmy lowered his gun and sighed in relief.

"That was uncomfortably close," said Sky. "How could you be so sure they could handle it?"

"Well, sonar vines aren't that dangerous. But to be honest, I wasn't sure," admitted Timmy. "It's just that part of the test is dealing with these things".

"Great. Now let's follow them," said Riven. The boys slowly crept through the swamp, their usually blue uniforms exchanged with brown-green camouflage gear. They each wore helmets, decorated with native plants, allowing them to blend in at a moment's notice.

"So, why don't we just use the Hoverer to track them?" asked Brandon quietly as they crept through the marshy waters.

"Because if things go wrong, we need to act now, not after we have parked," explained Sky.

"Yes, imagine how it would go. 'Scuse me ma'am, could you try not to die for a few moments? We need to park our ride somewhere first," said Riven, his voice a striking imitation of Brandon's, causing Timmy and Sky to chuckle.

"Hey, I do not sound like that," protested Brandon.

"No, but only because you would forget to inform the girls why we weren't helping," ribbed Sky.

"Thanks. It's nice knowing I can count on my best friends to relentlessly mock me," deadpanned Brandon while adjusting a lock of blond hair.

"If it bothers you, we could always go back to making fun of Timmy for almost losing his boots," joked Riven.

"Hey, anyone could have missed that mud pool. As was quite obvious from that other shoe, I wasn't the first to fall in," protested Timmy.

...

"So... now what?" asked Musa as she and the other girls stared at their next obstacle. A great and broad muddy river flowed through the woods, leaves and sticks bobbing on the surface. Orange rays of afternoon sun poked through the leaves of the thick overhang above them.

Flora grabbed a large stick and started poking into the water.

"It is not that deep, at least, not close to the shore," she said. "But that could change quickly. Or there could be powerful undertow".

"So, what are our options?" asked Musa.

"Well, we could tie ourselves together with vines and then slowly wade through the river or we could walk in either direction to look for possible stepping stones. Or possibly clearer water, though I doubt we will find that," she explained.

"Hmm, well, both could work," said Bloom slowly, pondering the dilemma. "Stepping stones would be safer, I think, but there is no guarantee we'll find any".

"We could try look for stepping stones first, then if we don't find any, we can try fording the river," suggested Musa.

"Sounds like a plan to me," agreed Techna.

"I tots agree," said Stella.

"Alright then. Either way is equally as good, so let us just pick a direction and go," said Flora.

Techna pulled a coin from her pocket, launching it into the air with her thumb and caught it again. "The coin says to the right," beamed the scarred girl happily.

The other girls looked at each other, shrugged and started walking down the riverside.

For around fifteen minutes they continued walking, scanning the river for any sign of anything resembling stepping stones.

"Gosh, this river is so boring," groaned Stella annoyed. "Every part of it looks the same. Brown, brown, brown. I'm sick of it".

"If I didn't know better, I'd say we were walking in circles," commented Musa.

"Fortunately for us, I can guarantee that is not the case," informed Flora, who was holding a compass in her hand.

"Hey, I think I see something," exclaimed Bloom happily and pointed ahead. Not far from them, sticks, leaves and whatnot clumped together about bumps in the water, forming a line across the murky river.

"That could be stepping stones yes," agreed Flora. "Now, before we cross, we should probably tie vines around us, just in case anyone falls into the river".

"Your being really careful with this, aren't ya?" asked Techna with a raised eyebrow.

"Indeed. My training has taught me to prepare for as many problems as possible and to efficiently deal with unpredicted problems when they show up," explained Flora, her voice tinged with pride.

"Really. So you did stuff like this trip all the time back home?" asked Stella.

"Of course not," said Flora, using magic to coax a long vine out of a tree. "This is a pleasant afternoon stroll compared to what it is like back home".

"That's... that's a pretty terrifying thought," admitted Stella with a cringe.

"Maybe. Now, we tie this around our stomachs one by one. And then we cross, again, one by one," explained Flora while tying the vine around her waist. She then handed the other end to Bloom, who tied it around her waist.

"This is actually pretty ingenious," said Bloom and handed the vine over to Techna.

"I admit, it would have been more ingenious of me to bring actual rope," admitted Flora. "A mistake on my part that I will take care not to repeat".

"Oh, lighten up Flowergirl. It works fine as it is," said Techna while handing the vine over to Musa.

"True, but lacking crucial equipment can kill people," said Flora. "That is why we are drilled in remembering what to bring. To forget something as basic as rope is a huge slip up on my part".

"Wow, you are really taking this seriously," said Stella surprised, tying the end of the vine around her stomach.

"I have to. Back home, it is no laughing matter," said Flora gravely. "That being said, making mistakes is an excellent opportunity to learn, so do not think me incapable of forgiving myself. Slip ups happen, I just have to be a bit more careful in the future. Now, I will cross first".

She reached out with her foot and pressed against the mess of leaves and sticks in the river. "Spongy," she commented. "Let us see if it will hold". Carefully, she put more and more weight on her foot. She felt the material under her give a bit, but she didn't sink through. Carefully, she moved her body weight out onto her foot and finally retracted her other foot from the shore, standing on the mass with her entire weight. Carefully, she started stepping across the river gunk, each step calculated. When the vine started being stretched, Bloom carefully followed suit, doing her best to follow Flora's footsteps. Slowly, but surely, all the girls followed, carefully moving across the spongy mass.

"I am starting to suspect that there are no rocks here, just a lot of heaped up sticks and stuff," commented Flora, almost across the river.

"Reminds me of that one time I landed in a compost heap," said Techna, arms stretched to maintain balance.

"And why did you do that?" asked Musa, her eyes on the impenetrable dark water around them.

"Safest way to jump out from third floor I could think off," replied Techna. "Still managed to sprain my ankle though".

Suddenly, the whole mossy line of river gunk shook.  
"It's breaking," yelled Stella in a panic.

Flora, who along with Bloom had reached the other side, immediately grabbed a hold of the nearest tree, the redhead following suit.

There was a splash as the bridge broke apart and the three other girls plunged into the rusty waters. And there they sat, waist deep in stinking bog water.

"My ass hurts. I think I landed one of them there rocks we were looking for," cringed Techna, rubbing her sore behind.

"I am starting to suspect that today, we're the punchline of a cosmic joke," sighed Musa and wrung her hair, while Stella sat behind her with a sulky look on her face. "In fact, I can almost hear the audience laughing at us".

...

"Now, now guys" tried Timmy, straining not to smile. "It isn't nice to laugh at others misfortune".

Brandon had already given up trying to hold it back, having instead buried his head in his backpack to muffle the sound.

"I'm just happy the water wasn't worse than a slight dip," chuckled Sky.

"I agree," said Riven with a smirk. "All that happened was that we got to see some wet girls... and I just realised how wrong that sounded".

The muffled sound of laughter from Brandon's backpack intensified.

...

The girls marched further on, following the lead of Flora and her compass.

"I wanna go home," moaned Stella. "I wanna go home, soak in nice warm bath and stay there until tomorrow".

"I'll be happy to just get all this crusty mud out of my hair," sighed Bloom.

"Not used to the wild I take it?" guessed Flora.

"Nature on Harmony is a lot less hostile than this," grumbled Musa. "Honestly, somebody ought to fix this swamp".

The suggestion seemed to amuse Flora for some reason.

Suddenly, the temporary silence was destroyed, first by a terrified scream and then a terrifying roar.

"What was that?" asked Stella, eyes wide.

"Trouble," said Bloom. "Somebody needs help".

The girls rushed towards the sounds, bursting into a small clearing. Three fairies stood with their backs against a rock, staring at the huge being in front of them. It was massive, humanoid in shape, with muscles bulging beneath its skin. Its hide was somewhere between mud brown and moss green, with strange bumps that looked like pebbles. Messy hair mixed with sticks and leaves hung in huge mud encrusted clumps from its head. It raised its massive hand, great claws at the ends of its fingers.

Stella reacted instantly and a sizzling beam of light struck the beast in the back of its head. Immediately it turned, its yellow beady eyes eyeing the new threat. It roared, showing off a great maw filled with sharp teeth and then charged, each step shaking the glade.

"SPLIT," yelled Flora and the girls immediately ran in random directions. The beast skidded to a halt; its head turning from side to side, trying to determine which girl it wanted to follow.

"What is that thing?" gasped Bloom as she and Flora ran away.

"A troll. Distant relative of ogres. Viscous humanoid carnivores that are hungry all the time," answered Flora. "Sharp teeth, sharp claws, tough skin, heals very quickly".

"Great. When this is over, I'm going to have a serious talk with Faragonda about their novel idea of student safety," growled Bloom, as the troll decided to charge after them.

From the bushes, the specialists looked on in shock.

"Where are those girls protectors? And why is there a troll here? That thing is not supposed to be here," groaned Timmy, fiddling with his backpack.

"Why don't you go tell him that then?" asked Riven annoyed, drawing his sabre.

"That was the idea," noted Timmy, raising his now unpacked rifle and aimed. With a sound like a god slamming his car door, the rifle went off. The bullet flew through the air and pierced the troll's leg midstep. The creature roared and fell to its knees, as one side of its leg exploded in gore.

It looked up, pain and fury in its eyes, as the four boys stepped out of the bushes.

"Why don't you try fighting someone who can fight back?" taunted Riven, pointing his sabre at the troll.

The creature roared in furious defiance and stood up, its wound already starting to mend.

Riven and Brandon nodded at each other and charged the beast. The troll snorted in anger and charged them, both hands ready to swipe their heads off. As the troll lashed out at them, the two dropped and slid between its massive legs, slicing at them with their respective weapons as they passed under it. The troll roared in pain and turned, but at that moment, another shot rang out and a chunk of the troll's shoulder turned to red mist.

"Should we help," gasped Bloom, as she saw Sky charge the troll, broadsword at the ready.

"We have no idea what their tactics or plan is. We risk messing up their procedure and getting in the way," said Flora intensely, starring at the unfolding battle. "Unless you see things go wrong, stay back".

Sky jumped and swung his blade, the edge cleaving into the troll's already open wound. The troll roared as the blade dug deep into its bloody flesh, scraping against its bone. However, as Sky tried to pull the blade, he realised it was stuck in the troll's quickly regrowing flesh. He pulled hard at the blade and with a wet sound, the flesh gave once more and the blond squire fell off the troll's shoulder, landing painfully and awkwardly on the ground. The massive carnivore reacted immediately, raising its hand to finish him off. With an deafening boom, a fireball collided with its head, exploding and scorching its face. It howled and turned in fury, staring at Bloom who had launched the spell. Then another explosion went off, ripping its ear off. It turned towards Techna, who had lobbed the grenade. Then a massive thorn launched into its functioning arm, courtesy of Flora. The troll turned again, only to be blindsided by another bullet from Timmy that caught it in the back. Then a laser from Stella, a cut from Riven and a burst of sound from Musa, a cut, an icicle, a rock, a flame. The troll turned and turned, trying to figure out whom to attack, but every time it turned to focus on the newest big threat, it was blindsided. The creature seemed to realise it was losing the battle and with a final angry grunt, it charged through an opening and ran into the swamp.

After a short moment, the people in the glade burst into cheering.

"That was amazing," gasped Sky, propping himself up against his sword.

"Good job Bloom. Nice job burning that ugly fella," congratulated Techna, slapping the redhead so hard she almost fell over.

"No problem," replied Bloom, starring at her hands in surprise. "Hey, are you three okay?" she asked, turning towards the faeries they had initially sought to rescue.

"Yes, very much thanks to you," said one of them, a girl with orange hair. "Good timing on your part".

"Yes, speaking of good timing, what are you four doing here?" asked Stella, turning towards the boys.

"I guess you mean besides saving your asses?" snarked Riven.

"Yes, besides that," confirmed the Solarian princess.

"Well, would you believe we were out here trying to just enjoy nature?" asked Brandon.

"Not if you ask like that," sighed Timmy and rubbed his temples. "We are here to ensure that there are no fatal accidents. We have been keeping an eye on you for some time. Now, you'll have to excuse us. While fighting a troll with you has been quite the experience, we have to make sure that it doesn't go for another team and that a group of handlers can find it, because there isn't supposed to be trolls in Melmamora".

"See you," said Brandon with a happy wave as the group headed for the forest.

"Hey, glasses kid," yelled Techna.

"Huh, me?" asked Timmy, turning around with a confused look.

"Yeah, you. Nice shooting," grinned Techna with a thumbs up.

"Thanks," said the sharpshooter with a grateful nod, before he followed the others into the dark swamp.

Now alone, the fairies looked upon each other.

"So, we know where there is a meadow nearby, though we don't know if it's the right one. Wanna come with us?" Musa asked the other fairies.

"Sure. I'm going to feel a lot better with more people around," sighed the orange haired fairy as the group headed out of the clearing.

An hour later, the first stars slowly becoming visible in the sky, the group stumbled into the meadow. There stood Palladium, checking his watch.  
"Ah, you have arrived," he exclaimed happily upon seeing them. "How surprising".

The group stopped, thinking about what he said.

"Why is that?" asked Bloom.

"Well, I never gave you a map, nor a direction. In fact, we never do, so few people actually ever reach the destination," answered the elf.

"Then what the fuck was the point?" asked Techna, looking very cross.

"Well, it's about teaching... no, more like, it about allowing you to experience creative challenges... no that's not right either," mumbled Palladium, fumbling with the words.

"The destination was not the point, the journey was," clarified Flora. "It was about allowing us to learn about ourselves and our skills in an environment that would test them".

"Excellently put," said Palladium with a wide smile. "Would you mind if I write it down for future use?"

"Then why couldn't it have been somewhere nice," moaned Stella, letting herself fall on her butt. "This trip has been horrible. My skin itches, I'm sweaty, I'm dirty in places where I never thought it would be a concern and now I just want to go home".

"Me too," sighed Bloom. "My whole body smells like sour feet".

"If my clothes get any more undone, I'll be out here in my birthday suit," commented Techna.

"We'll get home in twenty minutes. That's when the teleporter will bring us back," said their teacher, pulling out the purple crystal.

"What about the others who wandered somewhere else?" asked Musa.

"The crystal attuned to all of you when I brought you here. No matter the distance, it will bring you home," explained the teacher. After a short wait, the crystal lit up and the fairies found themselves back at Alfea.

...

Later that day, after having soaked in a warm bath for quite a while, Bloom walked across the common room towards Stella's door. As she prepared to knock, the redhead noted that the door wasn't entirely closed and from within, she could hear Stella's voice.

"Really. Wow, good thing we showed up then, otherwise they would not just have been reprimanded," she said to somebody.

"Hey Stella, may I come in?" called Bloom.

"Sorry Sky. Gotta run," sounded the voice of Stella. Shortly after, she appeared from her room.

"Bloom, what can I do for you?" beamed the Solarian princess, who looked like she had almost just stepped out of the bath.

"I just wanted to say again that I'm really sorry that I yelled at you out in the swamp," said the redhead heartfelt. "Still friends?"

"Of course we are, silly," grinned Stella and walked over to Bloom. "I tots understand why you snapped and you were right. I did, to borrow an expression from Techna, bitch a lot".

"Phew, I was afraid I might have seriously hurt your feelings," sighed Bloom relieved. "But now that's water under the bridge, you know Sky?".

"Yes," noted the blonde carefully, eyes darting around for a bit. "Many of the royal families keep in contact with each other. Heck, many of us are distant relatives in some convoluted way. Sky and his squire slash bodyguard Brandon were often sent over to my family's castle on playdates. I think maybe Sky's father hoped we would fall in love. Never happened though," admitted Stella. "We're good friends though".

"I guess that does explain why you had his phone number," said Bloom. "Gotta say, those boys are impressive".

"That they are," said Stella with a giggle. "Got your eyes on any of them yet?"

"Oh, no, I mean, they're cute, but I don't know any of them. Well, except Sky. We talked at the First Year's Dance".

"What do you think of him?" asked Stella curiously.

"Seems like a nice guy. Think we could become good friends," said Bloom.

At this, Stella seemed at bit relieved. Then she said: "Well, thanks for the talk, but I'm, like, totally tired. So I'll be going to bed now. Goodnight".

"Goodnight," replied Bloom as the Solarian princess closed her door. As Bloom turned back towards her room, she pondered if maybe Stella did have a slight interest in Prince Sky.


	5. Date with Disaster

Chapter 5: Date with Disaster

The Alfea kitchen was one more thing that Bloom found to be strikingly much like at home. With white tile floor and stainless steel instruments, it had a very restaurant like feel. She had expected a lot of magical equipment, but there was none, which made it even more impressive that SeFogelia managed to feed the entire school with only three pixies to assist him in his duties. Well, except that particular day when it was time for Bloom, Techna, Flora and Musa to have kitchen duty. Kitchen duty popped up a couple of times during the year for every cluster and involved the students making their own food, for either breakfast, lunch or dinner.

As Bloom started chopping the salad, she couldn't help but wonder why they couldn't just learn how to make food with magic. She stopped cutting for a moment and cast a look at Musa, who stood at the stove, drumming a spoon against the surface in an enthusiastic melody while waiting.

"So, any idea why Stella got out of kitchen duty?" asked Bloom.

"I think she asked Chef SeFogelia to move hers to another day. No idea why though," answered the black haired girl. "Hey, Flora, found that pan yet?"

"Is it this one?" asked the brunette, who was currently on her knees in front of an open cupboard, hoisting a pan in the air.  
"No, that's too big," answered Musa.

"This one?"

"Too small".

"This one?"

"Don't need a deep pan".

"This one?"

"Too broad".

The brunette sighed and said. "Who needs this many different pans? I mean, I get that Chef SeFogelia would need a lot of pans to make food for us all, but who needs this many different types of pans?"

"It allows you to cook the food exactly right," answered Musa. "One has to think about how much you cook, what you cook, how long it has to be cooked and so on".

Flora just sighed and returned to going through the numerous instruments of cooking. "This one?"

"Yeah, that looks just about right," answered Musa, to the visible relief of Flora.

At that moment, Techna waltzed over, a woollen cap on her head and hands full of different spice shakers.

"Ehm..." said Musa slowly, eyeing the numerous taste enhancers. "I just wanted blueroot, not every last spice in the cupboard".

"Well, I have no idea what that is. So I hope it's one of these," said Techna cheerfully and put the numerous condiments down.

"It is. It's the blue one," said Musa dryly, pointing to one of the shakers.

Techna looked at the shaker for a moment, before picking it up and handing it over to Musa with an infectious smile.

The black haired girl sighed, took said spice and said: "I hope you do realise that SeFogelia will expect you to put them all back".

"Eh, we can do that when we clean up," answered the magenta haired girl with a shrug.

Musa didn't answer and instead cracked a couple of blue eggs open on the edge of the pan, releasing its dark green content onto the hot metal surface.

"Do I want to know where those eggs came from?" asked Bloom.

"Rakes," answered Flora. "A species of lizard. Kept in many places. Raised for their eggs. Infamously invasive species".

"Yum," said Bloom slowly, starring at the sizzling green mass that Musa was seasoning. "Lizard eggs". She sighed and said: "Why do we have to use pots and pans when we have magic?"

"Because relying on magic to solve all your problems can backfire," said SeFogelia as he wandered into the kitchen. He walked over to Bloom and looked at her. "So, Miss Peterson, how would you use your magic to cook food?"  
"Well... I guess I could, you know, maybe heat it up," tried Bloom slowly.

"And how would you know how long to heat it?" asked the cook. "How would you know how to avoid burning it? Magic does not provide an answer to everything. It is a tool and like all tools, zere is a time and a place for it. It is for the benefit of you that we have zese kitchen duties, so zat you learn how not to rely upon magic. It is a valuable skill, one they don't teach everywhere," confided SeFogelia gravely.

"He is correct," agreed Flora. "Especially if you are in areas that are poor in ambient magic, it can help a lot to know non-magical skills to avoid draining yourself".

"Alright, alright, point taken. Cooking lizard eggs will help me not die," said the redhead.

"Very well, you all seem to have zis under control. I'll get some extra supplies from ze basement, so I will probably be gone for a couple of minutes," said the chef and headed out of the door.

"Bloom, could you check the roast?" asked Musa, putting the shaker down after another round of seasoning.

The redhead walked over to the oven, wherein there was a sizzling piece of meat.

"Well?" asked Musa.

"It... well, it looks like a roast," said Bloom, unsure what to look for.  
Musa sighed and said: "Techna, go help her".

"I'm on it," answered the scarred girl and headed over to the oven where Bloom stood.

After a moment, she confirmed: "She's right. It does look like a roast".

Flora chuckled as Musa slapped her forehead, after which she sighed and asked: "Flora could you keep an eye on the eggs while I check the roast?" in an exasperated tone.

With mitts on, she opened the oven and checked the roast. "It needs a couple of minutes more," she concluded after a moment of studying the slab of meat.

At that moment, the doors to the kitchen opened and in waltzed Stella. "Hi girls," she cheerfully greeted them and in return was met with a variety of greetings herself, ranging from: "Hello Stella," to: "'Ey Blondie".

"So, how did you manage to get out of kitchen duty?" asked Bloom, now cutting salad again.

"I just asked, to be totally honest," answered the Solarian princess. "You see, I've received an invitation for a date tonight".

"That's fantastic," said Musa, placing the green omelette on a dish and covering it with tinfoil. "With whom?"

"That's a secret," said Stella slowly. "Maybe I can tell you later. But the reason I came down here is that, well, I tots can't decide which clothes I should, like, wear on the date".

"So you want our help?" asked Flora.

The blonde nodded in response.

"I don't know, I'm not much for leaving a kitchen while food is cooking," said the brunette, eyeing the oven.

"Eh, SeFogelia will be back any moment now," said Techna in a lackadaisical tone.

"Well, the omelette is finished and both the roast and the gnurs need another five-ten minutes, so I guess it couldn't hurt," said Musa.

"Excellent," exclaimed Stella happily.

…

The first thing Bloom noticed, as the group walked into Stella's room, was that the girl didn't own a wardrobe. She owned four. Big ones too, standing side by side they took up the space of an entire side of the room. The blonde girl happily flung open every single door in the wardrobes, displaying the large amounts of dresses, jackets, shoes and whatnot within.

Flora stared at the mass of clothes with a weird expression, her jaw completely surrendered to gravity. After a moment, she composed herself and asked: "Why do you have that many clothes? Nobody could possibly need that many pairs of shoes".

"Oh pish-posh, I tots manage to find a use for, like, most of them," continued Stella happily.  
Musa sighed and mumbled something about rich people, while Techna with a rather serious expression said: "You do realise that there's a lot of people that could use clothes like these?"

"Oh, what?" asked Stella, shaken out of her considerations about shoes. "Oh, don't worry, I donate to charity whenever I'm done with them. Well, as long as they aren't ruined".

Techna's face immediately shifted from serious to happy and she exclaimed: "Good on ya, Blondie. Let's see what ya have in there". She pulled out one dress and said: "I think this would look good on ya".

Bloom stared at the pastel blue and neon pink mess of a dress and found herself wondering if that would look good on anything.

"Where did you buy that?" asked Flora, curiously eyeing the dress.

"I didn't," answered Stella.

"Somebody gave that to you?" asked Musa in a disbelieving tone, starring at the dress as if it was a slow motion car wreck.

"No, I actually designed it myself," said Stella proudly.

"In the dark?" asked Bloom with a cheeky smile, causing the princess to huff in annoyance.

"Or was it under the influence of severe fever maybe?" asked Musa, her smile matching the redhead's.

"Well, I think it looks good," defended Techna, earning herself a grateful smile from the blonde designer.

"Well, I am happy to hear that someone here can appreciate my artistic vision," said Stella, posing a bit.  
"I think your artistic vision needs glasses," commented Musa, pulling out a dark green dress with pale yellow spots.

"How about this one?" said Flora quickly, pulling out a dress as she eyed Stella, who looked like she was about to say something less than family friendly to the detractors of her designing skills.

"Oh, that could work," said Stella excited. The dress was numerous shades of complimenting blue, ranging from sky to navy. The Solarian princess instantly pulled it on, eager to see if it would still fit her.

"Looks like you're going to give ya date something to look at," commented Techna with a grin, noting the miniskirt on the dress.

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with being a little bit showy," said Stella as she opened a casket full of jewellery. "I have some armbands that will look good with this". As she tried them on, she seemed to ponder something.

"Hey, Bloom would you, like, mind keeping an eye on this?" asked the blonde, pulling off her magical ring. "It tots doesn't match".

"Are you sure you want to do that?" asked Flora concerned. "Does that ring not amplify your powers?"

"I'm going on a date to the Black Lagoon, I doubt anything's going to go wrong," said Stella with a head shake. "You worry too much".

"So you said before we ended up in Melmamora," added the brunette while Stella handed the ring over to Bloom.

Suddenly, Techna sniffed the air and asked: "Does anyone else smell smoke?"

"THE ROAST!" yelled Musa suddenly and zipped out the door, closely followed by Techna and Flora.

"Don't worry. I'll keep it safe," guaranteed Bloom, before she hurried out the door.

…

Flora, Techna and Musa burst into the kitchen and ran for the oven. Inside was the sad sight of the roast slowly turning to charcoal.

"Nothing to be done about that now," sighed Musa sadly while turning the oven off. "I think most of it might still be good. But if we open the oven now, we'll just fill the kitchen with smoke".

At that moment, deputy headmistress Griselda entered the room from another door.

"Hi," said Techna with a wave. "How's it going?"

"Just fine, until I smelled smoke that is," replied Griselda, adjusting her glasses. "What happened?"

Musa fumbled a bit with her fingers before admitting: "Stella asked us to help with something and the roast needed some more time. But we forgot to keep an eye on the clock".

"Leaving the kitchen while food is cooking is very irresponsible," lectured the deputy sternly. "You could have..."

At that moment, Bloom burst through the door. Or rather, stumbled through the door. As she fell, the extinguisher in her hand flew through the air and collided with the edge of a table. With a massive bang, white foam exploded all over the kitchen. After the container stopped spitting its content, silence fell over the foam frosted kitchen.

"I'm back," said SeFogelia as he entered the kitchen. "Sorry for ze wait, but I had a little chat with..." The chef froze, his wide eyes shifting from the foam covered kitchen tables to the burnt roast to the foam coated form of the deputy. "MY KITCHEN!" he exclaimed furiously. "WHAT IN ZE NAME OF ZE ABYSS DID YOU LOT DO TO MY KITCHEN?"

Griselda slowly wiped a chunk of foam of her face and said: "A little incident. Nothing that can't be solved by some vigorous cleaning. Both now and after breakfast, lunch and dinner. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, deputy headmistress," sighed the four girls.

"Good. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to change my dress. See you when the food is done," continued Griselda, leaving the girls and the furious chef in the foam covered kitchen.

…

Later during the afternoon, Bloom sat in a classroom with the rest of the students from her year, waiting for Wizgiz to show up. Her entire body felt sore from cleaning and scrubbing in the kitchen and the accompanying tirade from chef SeFogelia about kitchen safety and protocol had not improved the experience. She hoped he had forgiven them enough to at least let them clean in silence after dinner. A shock suddenly seemed to go through her classmates and she looked up to the desk, where Professor Keefe had suddenly manifested, again without any explanation.

"Hello class," he started once everybody had become silent. "Today we will learn about reversing transformations". He jumped from his desk and started walking back and forth. "As I indicated last time, others can indeed force transformations upon yer. Thus, it is vital to know how to fight back. To do so efficiently, we have to do the exact opposite of last time. To transform, one must let go of ones image of ones true self. To reverse transformations, especially ones forced upon yer, yer have to hold on to said image of yer true self. Now everyone, come up to the desk. Please, form a line. I will perform upon yer a non harmful transformation and it will be yer job to try to reverse it".

Obediently the students formed a line up to the desk.

"Now," started Wizgiz. "I'll explain exactly what I will do to yer. I find that usually helps prevent panic. I will transform yer left hand. First, I will cut of yer nerves to prevent any discomfort, then rearrange the veins to ensure there will be no disturbing of yer circular system. Then, I will reshape yer hands into pumpkins. Yer job will be to shape it back. If at any point during this exercise, yer get the slightest inkling there's something wrong, ye tell me". The last note was said in a notably less chipper tone, emphasising the seriousness of it.

The first student in line swallowed loudly and gingerly put her hand forward. Wizgiz grabbed it, and in his grasp, the hand bent and warped, reforming into the shape of a pumpkin. With a weird look on her face, the student returned to her desk. One by one, the students walked up to the desk to have their hands reshaped into pumpkins. After a while, it was finally Bloom's turn. She gave her left hand to her teacher and he carefully examined it. Suddenly, it felt like her hand just died, all feeling in it disappearing. Then followed the bizarre sight of her hand reshaping before her eyes. She slowly returned to her desk, her every move careful so as to avoid smashing the fruit her hand had now been turned into.

"Now then," said Wizgiz as the students slowly returned to their seats. "I want ye to try to remember how yer hand used to look. I want you to focus on that and concentrate yer magic. Don't strain yerselves, just relax and focus. We have a lot of time left, so there is no hurry".

Bloom obediently closed her eyes and tried to imagine her hand. This exercise was interrupted however, when Techna asked: "What if I'm happy with a pumpkin hand?"

Keefe chuckled and said: "There's nothing wrong with having a fruity look now and then, but it's probably best to save that for when we know ye can change back and forth at command".

"I guess you're right," sighed Techna a bit disappointed and returned to silence.

Again, Bloom closed her eyes and visualized her hand. It was somewhat difficult, as she had never really thought about her hand that much. After a few minutes of concentration, accompanied by the slow pleasant buzz Bloom had come to associate with magic, there was a sudden scream of: "PROFFESOR! PROFFESOR! MY HAND!"

Bloom looked to the back of the class and saw a terrified looking female student held up her rapidly swelling red hand.

"Oh dear," exclaimed Wizgiz and in a couple of leaps, jumped from desk to desk to the distraught student. He grabbed the hand and slowly, the swelling reversed.

"There, there," he comforted the crying girl. "Ye just forgot to give the blood a way out again, lass. Easy now". He gently patted the girl on her shoulders and said: "If ye need a break, yer excused".

The girl nodded and slowly left the classroom. Keefe sighed sadly and said to the rest of the class: "I hope this unfortunate accident demonstrates to yer all how dangerous this magic is. Slight mishaps with the body can lead to horrible damage and injuries. But don't let that discourage yer".

Bloom gulped and returned her gaze to her hand. At the end of the class, she had only managed to turn her hand into a skin covered pumpkin, an unsettling sight to say the least. None the less, she took that as a sign that she was progressing.

…

That evening, after another monologue accompanied cleaning duty in the kitchen, a tired couple of girls walked into their cluster.

"I will go to sleep now," said Flora after yawning. "I am tired and I would rather not waste our weekend being drowsy".

"So, any idea when Stella will be back?" Bloom asked the two others, as the brunette walked into her apartment.

"Dunno," answered Techna with a shrug. "Since it's weekend, she's not even required to be back today, so who knows?"

"You know, I think I'm also going to Magicalis tomorrow," said Musa. "I'd like to get out of Alfea for a while".

"Oh, can I come with you?" asked Bloom eagerly.

"Why not," said the black haired girl with a shrug. "It's not like I have any specific plans for the trip".

"Excellent. That means I can get some serious upgrading done while you're away," exclaimed Techna happily.

"Do try not to blow anything up. I just cleaned my room," added Musa dryly.

"Don't worry, I know how to handle explosions and fire," said Techna reassuringly.

"And yet somehow, I'm only more worried now," mumbled Musa. "Anyway, I'm tired. I'm going to hit the bed now".

"Yeah, me too," added Bloom and yawned. "See you both tomorrow".

…

Early the next morning, Bloom was awakened by the sound of noise coming from somewhere nearby. It sounded like someone was moving heavy furniture around. As the redhead stumbled out of bed, she wondered if Techna had started her upgrading early. She quickly found some clothes to put on and headed out the door, eager to find the source of the racket. However, as she poked her head into the common room, she noticed a tired and grumpy looking Techna marching out of her apartment.

"Hey Techna, what's going on?" asked the red head.

"No fucking clue, but it's coming from Blondie's room," grumbled the scarred girl. "She better have a good reason, I was planning on sleeping for a couple of hours more".

"Just knock on her door and ask her," said Flora sleepily as she also entered the room.

Techna nodded and resolutely walked over to Stella's door. After an insistent knocking and a few seconds, the door opened slightly and Stella's head poked out.

"Oh, sorry, did I disturb you?" she asked apologetically.

"And bingo was her name, Blondie. Yes, you very much did. What's going on?" asked Techna.

"Sorry, I just lost a piece of jewellery and I couldn't find it. It's very important to me, so I wanted to find it right away," answered the Solarian princess.

"Oh, that's okay," said Bloom. "Have you just gotten home? How was the date?"

"Actually I got home some hours ago. As for the date, well, it was okay. Had some good food, went to see a movie. Nothing special to be honest, but it was nice. Now, you'll have to excuse me. I have yet to find my jewellery, but I will do my best to do it quietly," she promised when she noticed their faces. Then she closed the door.

"Now, you will all have to excuse me, I have three more hours of sleeping to do," said Techna with a yawn and walked back to her apartment.

"Did Musa wake up?" asked Bloom while she and Flora returned to their apartment.

"I doubt anything short of an earthquake could accomplish that," said the magenta haired girl before closing the door to her apartment.

…

Later that day, not long after dinner had finished, Bloom and Musa walked across Alfea's yard towards the bus. They were in the middle of a discussion about what they would do in Magicalis when they heard Flora call for them. They turned and the brunette walked over to them with a serious look on her face.

"Have either of you seen Stella today?" she asked.

"Not since she woke us up at around seven. Why?" asked Bloom.

"She has not been outside her room today. Not to breakfast nor lunch. It is unusual for her to seal herself in like that," said the brunette.

"Maybe the date went worse than she let on," guessed Musa.

"I suppose that is a plausible theory. Still, I worry. She should not just skip food like that, it is unhealthy," said Flora. "Bloom, I know you are both heading somewhere, but you are the one out of us who are closest to Stella. Could you ask her how she feels and if she would like us to make some food for her?"

"Sure. Musa, can we take the next bus?" asked the redhead.

"Sure. It's just another half hour wait," said the black haired girl with a smile.

With a nod, Bloom ran off and hurried up through the school. When she opened the doors to the cluster, the first thing she noticed was that Stella's door was open. She pondered briefly if the princess had gone off to get some food, but when she threw a glance into the apartment, she froze. Inventory had been strewn across the floor, drawers and cupboards thrown open. The bathroom was a mess of make-up and toilet things left on the floor. Bloom couldn't help herself, she immediately ran into the room, fearing for her friends' safety.

"Bloom?" sounded a familiar voice behind her. The redhead turned, and behind the open door was Stella. She looked somewhat frantic.

"Stella, what happened here?" asked Bloom worried.

"It's my ring Bloom. The Sceptre of Solaria," said the girl worried. "It's missing and I have searched the apartment from floor to ceiling. I think someone has taken it. You got to help me".

"You... your ring is... missing?" asked Bloom, trying to comprehend what the Solarian princess was saying. "It's missing and you want me to help you find it?"

The blonde girl nodded with a distraught look on her face.

"Stella, you gave me that ring for safekeeping," said Bloom slowly, taking a step away from the girl.

"I did?" asked Stella. "Oh, of course I did. Slipped my mind. Boy, do I feel silly now". She gave a short laugh. "Now, could I please have it back?"

"No," said Bloom.

"No?" questioned Stella. "Bloom, you can't just keep my ring".

"Is it really your ring?" questioned Bloom, taking another step backwards. "Or rather, are you really Stella?"

"Of course I am, Bloom, don't be silly," said Stella reassuringly, taking a step forward. "Who else would I be?"

"You tell me," said Bloom, keeping her distance. "You forgot whom you gave one of your most important and prized possessions. Plus, you don't speak like you usually do. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but after what I have learned of magic, I'd rather err on the side of caution".

"Bloom, dearie, you're just stressed from all these new experiences," said Stella calmly.

"Oh really?" countered Bloom. "Then what world am I from?"

"Uhm," said Stella. "Let's see. Boy, I can't seem to remember the name".

"Well, that's fine," continued Bloom. "Then I am sure you won't mind going with me to the nurse or Wizgiz, just to double check".

"Of course not, Bloom," said the blonde haired girl slowly, hands held up in a calming gesture. "If you really think it's..."With the speed of a viper, she kicked a fallen table lamp and sent it flying towards Bloom. The redhead tried to raise her arms in time, but the heavy end of the lamp bashed into her head and she stumbled, a small amount of blood dripping down her face. She tried to focus through the throbbing pain in her head, only to be tackled to the floor by Stella. The blonde girl landed heavily on Bloom and immediately planted her knees on her wrists. Her hands closed around her neck, tight enough to be noticeable, but not too tight to prevent breathing.

"Now listen carefully Bloom," said the person claiming to be Stella, her expression filled with annoyance. "We are going to make a little deal. You tell me where the ring is and I don't choke you. I think you will find my terms most agreeable".

"What... have... you done... with Stella?" hissed Bloom, every breath a battle.

"Nothing serious. And nothing serious will happen to her if you just tell me where the ring is," said the blonde person on top of her. "Once we have it, the girl is useless, so why don't you just make this easy on yourself?"

"Screw... you," hissed Bloom.

The girl on top of her sighed and said: "I never understand why people like you do this. I mean, I am just going to go through your room once we are done here, so it's not like it's going to change anything. So do yourself a favour and tell me where it is".

Suddenly, the girl reacted to something and threw herself off Bloom, moments before an iron pipe whizzed by where her head had been.

"I don't care if you look like Stella, touch her again and I will fucking break you in half," snarled Techna, twirling the iron pipe in her hand with frightening proficiency.

"Oh dear, this is not at all going as planned," sighed the Stella impostor. "Oh well, we still have your friend. So I guess the ball is still in our court".

"Oh yeah? Well I have an asskicking with your name on it," snarled Techna ferally.

The impostor smirked and snapped her fingers. Immediately, a thick darkness filled the room.

"Come out here and fight you spineless coward," roared Techna, but the only thing to answer her was the sound of a window breaking. Moments after, the darkness dissipated, no trace of the fake Stella remaining.

"You okay?" asked Techna concerned and helped Bloom on her feet.

"Well, as okay as I can be after being choked by a Stella clone," gasped Bloom hoarsely. "Where did she go?"

To answer her, Techna pointed at the big broken window in the room.

"Right. We have to tell the teachers right away," gasped Bloom and the two girls hurried out of the room.

…

"Alright, let me see if I understood this correctly," sighed Griselda, rubbing her temples. "A person in the shape of Stella came back at some point in the night, caused a racket, which we can now assume was because said person was searching for the Sceptre, then tried asking Bloom for help, only to attack her when Bloom saw through her disguise and then fled through the window when help came. Is that correct?"

"I admit, it does sound quite unbelievable when you put it like that," said Bloom, rubbing her neck.

"On the contrary, I did not intend to cast doubt upon your explanation. It is, sad to say, very plausible," sighed the deputy. "I am going to call the police. If you have or find any additional information, do not hesitate to contact the staff".

"We will," said Flora as she and the other girls walked out of Griselda's office. "Good luck".

"Likewise," replied the deputy, reaching for her phone.

"I'm worried, girls," sighed Bloom sadly as the four of them walked down Alfea's halls.

"Can't blame ya. This whole thing stinks. Blondie is gone and some facethief has been going through her stuff, attacking you," growled Techna. "It's downright rotten".

"At least now the police will be informed," said Flora reassuringly. "So hopefully, that will move things along".

"Maybe," sighed Techna, her hands balled into fists. "Just hate not doing anything. To just sit back and wait while someone I know is in trouble".

"Well, what can we do?" asked Musa. "I can't even remember where Stella was supposed to go on her date".

"Wait, didn't Stella say she received an invitation?" said Bloom suddenly. "Maybe it's still there. We should go check her room".

"Why not just inform Griselda?" asked Flora.

"Well, if there's nothing there, we would just be wasting the police's time," answered Bloom.

"Sounds good. The less time they spend on dead ends, the quicker they can find Blondie," agreed Techna.

"Hmm, I suppose that is true," replied Flora uncertainly, rubbing her chin.

"Then let's go investigate her room" exclaimed Bloom.

…

Carefully, the girls searched Stella's room, leaving not so much as a single pair of trousers unturned. After several minutes of fruitless search, Flora said: "I think I have found it".

The other girls immediately dropped what they had in their hands and ran over to the brunette. In her hand was an envelope with a card in it. She picked it out and read aloud: "Dear Stella. We have talked a lot lately and that has made me realise that there could be something between us. I'd like to invite you out to dinner at The Black Lagoon in Magicalis tomorrow at eight. With the best of regards, Crown Prince Sky Herakles".

"Knew it," said Bloom.

"Knew what?" asked Musa surprised.

"That she had a thing for Sky," answered Bloom.

"Well, we know where that Sky fella is. We should ask him what he knows," said Techna resolutely.

"Was this not the part where we let the police know?" asked Flora.

"Well, we know where Sky is. So if we could ask him some questions, we could save the police time," suggested Bloom.

"One would suspect the officials would be able to do this a lot faster than us, but very well, let us go ask Sky what he knows," sighed Flora a bit annoyed.

…

About fortyfive minutes later, Bloom found herself starring out of the bus' window at the great yellow walls of Red Fountain.

"This place is amazing," she whispered.

"It's something else alright," said Techna while looking out the window, a square bag hanging from her shoulder in a strap. "Quite the imposing place".

"How come all the schools look so amazing and magical, while Magicalis looks so normal?" asked Bloom.

"Maybe because Magicalis doesn't have outdated architecture," suggested Musa dryly.

"It's not outdated. It's timeless," insisted Bloom, starring with awe at the structure.

"And here I thought your where into people, Ginger, not buildings," chuckled Techna.

"Ginger?" asked Bloom.

"I know, not terribly original," admitted Techna.

The bus slowly stopped and the girls stepped out. Nearby was a small group of Red Fountain students in the middle of a lively discussion.

"Ha, guns got nothing on a good sword," said one, a muscular boy with brown hair. "It's not even practical to enchant the bullets because you spend so many of them in such a short time".

"So? I'll have killed at least ten opponents before you get to fight even one," countered his opponent, a blond boy with freckles.

"So? Anyone can use a gun. It takes skill to use a sword".

"No, anyone can fire a gun. It takes talent to aim. You know, unlike swinging around a big slab of metal like an irate troll".

"Geez, just whip them out and have them measured," commented Techna.

The two boys immediately lost their train of thoughts and noticed the girls that had walked over to them.

"Hi, have you seen Prince Sky somewhere?" asked Bloom nervously.

"Sky? Oh yeah, he's over at the lookout. Go up the staircase over there, you can't miss it," said the freckled boy.

"Thanks," said Bloom as she and the other girls left the boys to their discussion. They quickly walked up the stairs and indeed there Sky was, standing at a raised position that allowed one to see much of the surrounding land.

"Hello Sky, how are you today?" greeted Flora.

"Oh, hi girls," said Sky surprised. "I had no idea you were coming. What's the occasion?"

"Nothing much, just a change of scenery," said Bloom. "So, what have you been up to lately?"

"Not much. Mostly training," said the prince.

"Really? And here I thought you were desperately trying to juggle," said another voice. Sky and the girls turned their heads to see Riven and Brandon making their way towards them, accompanied by a dog.

"That's a cute dog," cooed Bloom.

"Whose is it?" asked Musa.

"His Highness', though he handles his dog about as well as his sword," snarked Riven.

"What my esteemed mockingbird here is trying to say is that though it is Sky's dog, Lady here has grown quite attached to me," explained Brandon, patting the dog's head.  
"You've been trying to juggle swords? That's awesome," said Techna, returning her attention to Sky.

"Actually, I just lost my grip on it and ended up having to go on a trip to the nurse, to have my ear reattached," admitted Sky embarrassed.

"It happens to the best of us," said Brandon reassuringly and slapped his comrade on the shoulder.

"So you didn't send Stella an invitation yesterday?" asked Techna, casing Flora to stiffen with an unreadable grimace on her face.

"No," said Sky with a look of confusion on his face. "I haven't got the time to go on a date".

"Besides," added Brandon slowly. "If you were to invite Stella on a date, wouldn't you...?"

"Yes. Yes I would," confirmed Sky, leaving the girls confused. "Anyway, no, I haven't send any invitation. It must have been a joke made in very poor taste".

"Well, that is nice, but we must be going now. We have other things to check," said Flora quickly and softly shoved the girls away.

"What was that about?" asked Musa after they had gotten a bit away from the boys.

"Little tip to consider. Do not let suspects know what you know. It is about gaining information while giving as little away as possible," hissed Flora annoyed. "If he is guilty, he now knows we are on to him".

"What, did you also get trained in interrogation?" asked Techna.

"I am acquainted with police procedure, yes. On Limphea, magi are expected to work with the police, the military and other forms of security. Now call Faragonda and tell her what we have found out, before we, and do excuse me for putting it so crudely, fuck things up," Flora hissed in annoyance.

"Alright, I'm calling, I'm calling," said Bloom reassuringly, fishing for her phone. She pushed some buttons and put the phone to her ear. "Hello? Faragonda?"

"Hello Bloom. I heard about that terrible business with Stella. Are you okay?" asked Faragonda concerned.

"Very much so. But we have found an invitation in Stella's room with Prince Sky's name on it. Except he claims he has never invited her".

"Bloom, I am happy to learn this and I do understand that you are concerned and want to help, but we have the police on the case. Please, do not expose yourself to more unnecessary danger. I'll relay the information you have found out," said the headmistress, her voice both strict and caring.

"I know. We'll be careful," said Bloom and closed the conversation.

"So, let us go home," said Flora, her demeanour vastly improved.

"Wait, the invitation said it was for the Black Lagoon. We should go ask people there if they have seen Blondie," suggested Techna.

"Techna, with all due respect, that is not a good idea," said Flora.

"Why not?" asked Techna.

"Because of all the reasons I just brought up moments ago. I do trust that you paid attention," continued the brunette with a slight edge in her tone.

"But that's what makes it a great idea. No one will raise an eyebrow at four girls asking for their friend," argued Techna.

"Except they probably know we are Stella's friends. The best thing we can do is call Faragonda and supply this new information," stated Flora.

"Both of you, pipe down," hissed Musa, casting a look around.  
"We have to do something. We are Stella's friends, we can't just leave her hanging," pleaded Bloom.

"We are not leaving her hanging. We are handing the case over to the rightful authorities," sighed Flora, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is not some fantasy story where a group of girls with magical powers go off to save their friend from the bad guys. This is real life, where we have people educated in handling situations like these. People that do not include fairies who have barely begun their first year".

"Look, if you don't want to come, that's fine, Flowergirl. No one is going to make you. But we're not going to sit on our asses while Stella needs our help," said Techna sternly.  
"Fine," sighed Flora. "I know I am going to regret this later, but let us go check that restaurant then".

…

About half an hour later, the girls walked out of the bus and found themselves once more in Magicalis.

"So, how do we find this restaurant?" asked Musa.

"Let me look it up online," said Techna and opened her bag. From it, she brought a big mixed plastic and metal object.

"What is that thing?" asked Musa.

"My laptop," answered Techna with a smile. The thing was obviously forged from the remains of several lesser laptops and probably given life through some unholy ritual. There were barely two buttons on the keyboard that matched, it was bulky and bumpy as all get-out, stickers ranging from cutesy to obscene adorned its surface and for some reason a steam whistle was attached to its side.

"Why is that there?" asked Bloom.

"To warn me when it's overheating. Can't always set up fans outside, so it allows me to turn it off before it explodes," answered Techna nonchalant. She looked up from the screen to find that her friends had taken several steps away from her. The scarred girl shrugged and returned to her computer. Her hands deftly danced across the keyboard and after a few seconds, she happily reported that: "I have no idea where the Black Lagoon is".

"Great. A dead end," sighed Musa.

"Maybe not. Somebody in this city ought to know where it is," said Bloom.

…

"Nobody in this city know where it is," sighed Bloom. After half an hour of fruitlessly asking people about the restaurant, the girls found themselves sitting on the pavement, starring at the slowly setting sun.

"Maybe it is for the best," suggested Flora.

"Well, we tried. That's the best we can do," sighed Techna sadly.

"Yeah, they have been pretty bad at advertising themselves," sounded a gruff voice behind them. The girls jumped to their feet in shock and turned, only to find a heavily bearded man in a coat. "Sorry, did I startle you?" asked the man, adjusting his square glasses.

"Very much," admitted Musa, grasping her chest. "I think I can hear my heart galloping down the main street".

"My apologies. I just heard you talk about the Black Lagoon. It is an excellent place, but new, so they aren't well known yet," said the man. "But if you want to check it out, it's just outside town. Head down Yesterday Avenue, cross the old bridge and then it's at your right, by the big tree".

"Really? Thanks," said Bloom gratefully.

"No problem. Have a nice day," said the man and continued down the street, whistling a tune.

"Well, let's go," said Bloom.

…

Barely ten minutes later, the girls crossed a wooden bridge over a stream just outside the town. As the man has said, there was a big oak tree and behind it, a middle sized building with 'The Black Lagoon' written on a sign just above the door. It was a very old building, with straw roof and uneven bricks of stone in the walls. It managed to look quite cosy. From the windows streamed a warm inviting light, alongside the clinking of glass and the sound of people having a good time.

"Well, let's go in and ask," said Musa, as the girls walked towards the restaurant.

While the girls walked up the small road to the front door, Flora stopped for a moment and touched the massive oak.

"It is fake," she concluded.

"What is?" asked Bloom.

"The tree. It is not real," said the brunette, retracting her hand. "Though it does look genuine".

"Eh, it adds to the mood," said Musa with a shrug. She knocked on the door, and with a creaking, it slowly opened. The girls waltzed inside and looked around.

There was several wooden tables with stools, a desk with flasks of wine on the shelf behind it, a chandelier with living lights and quaint painted pictures of people at farms adorned the wall. And yet, something was very off.

"Where are all the people we heard?" asked Musa confounded.

Suddenly, the door behind them smacked shut and all the lights went off. Darkness descended upon the building, only broken by the evening sun streaming in through the grimy windows, falling upon the dusty floor and the sad remains of broken tables and rotted pictures.

"Oh no," whimpered Bloom.

"I think I have seen this in a movie," commented Techna. "Soon, a masked spook with an axe will fly out of the closet while somebody smashes a piano somewhere".

"Not helping, not helping," said Bloom, breathing heavily.

"Yeah, I say we get out of here, before the piano smashing starts," gasped Musa and turned around. "The heck. The door is gone".

"What?" Flora asked as she and the two others turned around.

True enough, the door had vanished.

"Looking for your friend?" asked a voice.

The girls looked up the spider web covered staircase. At the top floor stood the man that had given them directions. Or to be precise, he stood on the ceiling. "If so, you better take a look around, for she might just be here, somewhere". Then with a low chuckle, like the sound of a faraway avalanche, he ran off.

"You come back here this instant," yelled Techna, running up the stairs while simultaneously drawing her trusty pipe from her bag, the three others close behind her.

"Techna, slow down, the guy is probably leading us into a trap," pleaded Flora, struggling to be heard by the infuriated girl.

Up the stairs and down the hall they ran, until it split in two.

"Techna, please stop running," gasped Bloom, completely out of breath.

"We don't have time. Any second, those creeps could..." started Techna, looking back at her friends. "Where's Musa?"

With wide eyes, Flora and Bloom looked behind them. There wasn't anybody there.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," gasped Bloom, feeling close to hyperventilating.

"Great, this is exactly why running off like that was a bad idea," said Flora, anger seeping into her voice.

Techna looked ready to reply, but suddenly the voice of Stella rang out from somewhere close. "HELP ME! HELP ME!" she screamed and Techna darted off again.

"Dammit, does everything I say bounce of her impenetrable skull?" hissed Flora as she and Bloom started their pursuit. Techna turned and ran into a room down the hall, with the redhead and brunette in close pursuit. As soon as they entered, the door slammed shut behind them.

"Well, if it isn't my 'friends'. How nice of you to show up," sounded the mocking voice of Stella. A single light went on, revealing the blonde girl, a mocking smile on her face.

"It's the fake. It's a trap," gasped Bloom.

"Of course it is," said Techna.

"If you knew it was a trap, why run into it?" hissed Flora frustrated.

"Because now I am going to beat her until she cries for her momma and coughs up where Stella is," growled the magenta haired girl, twirling her pipe.

"That's cute. But you are forgetting one thing," said the Stella clone. Another light went on, revealing the man from before, holding Musa in his grasp. The girl's eyes were wide open in fear.

"What do you want?" yelled Bloom.

"The sceptre. And if you haven't brought it, then I guess we will just have to hold on to both of your little girl pals until you do bring it," said the impostor. "Oh, and don't try anything. The slightest thing go wrong, my friend here will snap her like a twig".

"Where is Stella?" demanded Techna.

The impostor rolled her eyes and said: "Such one track minds you have. Very well, your beloved girlfriend is right there". Another light went on, revealing Stella, chained to a wall. "Sadly for her, without the Sceptre her powers didn't amount to much. It took no effort at all to capture her," concluded the impostor. "Now, the sceptre. Do you have it or do you have to get it first?"

Bloom bit her lip. She knew the Sceptre was in her pocket. She had brought it along just in case they would find Stella so she could have it back as soon as possible, but now, it was starting to seem like a mistake.

"Why do you want that thing so much?" she asked, stalling for time.

"Oh sure, I'll tell you my plans. Do you want a detailed analysis or would a summation do it for you?" asked the impostor sarcastically. "And now that we have established that I am not an idiot, the sceptre. Now". After a short pause, she asked: "Would it help motivate you if I had my friend squeeze the girl a little bit?"

Suddenly a loud thump emitted from said girl and the man screamed as his arms fell uselessly down his sides. Musa immediately rolled away from him and said: "Sound can shatter bones, bozo".

Immediately, Techna pulled a grenade from her pocket, but a white glare flew through the darkness and slammed her back against the wall. The scarred girl tried to step forward, but her hand, grenade included, was encased in solid ice. Flora tried to pull something from her pocket, but a bolt of lightning flashed through the dark and struck her, sending the brunette flying back and crashing head first into an armoire. Musa raised her hands, readying another spell, but the man, now recovered, smashed his leg into the girl's spine, sending her crashing to the floor with a pained whimpering. Before she could get up, he planted his foot on her neck, slightly pressing down in a warning. Bloom desperately tried to conjure some fire, but only a few sparks sputtered from her fingertips.

"Performance issues?" asked a mocking voice, as the white haired girl and red clad girl from Magicalis entered the light.

"You two?" gasped Bloom and turned to look towards the impostor. "Then you must be..."

The impostor's shape melted away like shadows before the light, revealing the third girl.

"Now, I believe that we were at the part where you would give us the sceptre," continued the dirty blonde girl.

Bloom looked around desperately. Musa was down for the count. Flora had yet to recover from being hit by lightning. Techna was still trying to free herself while using every single curse word imaginable and Stella was completely tied up. And against four opponents, three of which far surpassed her in magical power, Bloom realised that she wouldn't stand a chance.

"You win," she finally said. "Here, take the ring". She withdrew the artefact from the pocket and held if forward. "Just please don't hurt my friends anymore".

"Deal," said the white haired girl. She grabbed the ring and in her grasp it took the form of a staff.

"I love it when a good plan comes together," she said delighted. "Come on, we're leaving" she said to the man. The guy immediately ran over to them and in a flash, they were gone.

…

A few minutes after, the group walked out of the ruined house. Bloom was supporting a weakened Stella, while Musa helped the still disoriented Flora find her way around.

Night had fallen, and stars could barely be seen beyond the clouds that covered the sky.

"So, are we sure these three are witches?" asked Techna, fury barely held back.

"There is little doubt about it. Bloom saw one of them at the banquet, one of them indicated that they were from nearby and there is no way Red Fountain would let them dress that way. I am also sure that man was the ogre lackey in disguise. We should... Where are you going?" asked the brunette as Techna headed down the road.

"I'm going to find out where Cloud Tower is. And then I have three bitches to smack," growled Techna loudly as she stomped down the road.

"I'm going after her. Making sure she doesn't do anything too stupid," said Musa, gently letting Flora down.

"Why? We should just tell her to... no, I guess that would not work," sighed Flora. "That girl is far too stubborn".

"I know. I'll try to keep her out of trouble. Keyword being try. See you later," said Musa as she hurried down the road.

"So what now?" asked Bloom.

"Simple," said Stella determined. "We break into Cloud Tower and..."

"NO!" exclaimed Flora angrily. Both Bloom and Stella stared at her in shock. "Sorry," she said. "But I am not doing this anymore. From the start, we should have left this to the authorities. The only thing we have accomplished is giving these criminals what they want while putting ourselves in harm's way. I am sorry, but I will be returning to Alfea. And I will tell Faragonda everything we know". With that, she slowly got up and limped down the road.

"As if that will help," mumbled Stella. "Those three will deny everything and just hide the Sceptre. We need to steal it back without them knowing we're coming. Come on Bloom, we're going".

The redhead cast a last glance at Flora, before following the Solarian Princess down the road.


	6. Trouble at Cloud Tower

Chapter 6: Trouble at Cloud Tower

Stella and Bloom walked down the road, light falling from the street lamps while dark clouds glided overhead. As the cool breeze flowed past them, Bloom found herself wondering if going along with Stella was the smartest idea. On the other hand, surely Stella would know how to handle things and as her friend, wasn't it her duty to assist? As the redhead juggled with all these thoughts, she decided it might be best to occupy herself with something else and asked: "So, Stella, why is that ring so important?"

"You mean besides it being an ancient family heirloom that's, like, worth millions of nummi?" asked Stella.

"Well, I kinda figured they weren't just after it for ransom. For example, do you think they could utilize its light enhancing powers in some way?" asked the redhead.

"Actually, it's not specifically light enhancing," admitted Stella. "Truth be told, it just enhances magic in general".

"Oh," said Bloom, a bit surprised. "Okay, then they can definitely use it".

"Originally, it was actually thought to only enhance light magic. But that's just because a knack for light has been passed down through my family," explained the blonde, stretching her arms a bit. "Just a misunderstanding".

"Wait, you can inherit knacks?" asked Bloom curiously.

"Oh no, I tots sense another mechanics of magic conversation coming," sighed Stella. "I don't know that much about it, I swear. It has something to do with ambient magic and DNA, or something like that, but I never paid too much attention to that".

"Oh," said Bloom with a look of disappointment.

The Solarian princess rubbed her chin for a bit and said: "You know, I might not be able to explain a lot about the mechanics, but I can tell you about what I know of my ring and the dragonflame inside it".

"A dragon flame? As in from an actual dragon?" asked the redhead, curiosity sparked.

"The answer to that is a bit complicated," replied Stella. "Okay, here is what I do know. A long time ago, before my family's kingdom was established, there was this rock. I think it was called the Solaris Stone. They say it was a star that crashed down on our planet a long time ago, so most geeks figure it was, like, an asteroid or something. Then one of my ancestors, my great-great-great-some more greats-grandfather found this ancient magical rock, which was even sacred to many of the nomadic tribes of the area. And then promptly had it cut into accessories". Stella smiled a bit embarrassedly when she noticed Bloom's shocked expression and said: "I admit, my ancestor didn't have a lot of appreciation for local culture. Anyways, while a lot of totally nice accessories, now collectively known as the Solaria Regalia, was made, only one held any power".

"The ring slash sceptre?" asked Bloom.

"Right on the money," replied Stella with a smile. "At the time, my ancestor used this ring to declare himself divinely chosen by the sun goddess Solaris, and yes, that name does pop up a lot. She was all the rage back then". After a pause, the blonde added: "Still is, in fact. So, anyways, he used this ring to declare himself the divinely chosen ruler of the land, raised an army of believers and then immediatly killed a bunch of people and set their stuff on fire. It's a rather bloody and grim chapter of our history," admitted Stella uneasily. "Moving on, he established Solaria, had a bunch of heirs with a couple of wives and then died one day. Back then, they said Solaris called him back to her. Which is not entirely untrue, since Solaria is also our sun and some archaeology geeks took some samples from his mummy and found out he most likely died from skin cancer due to inadequate skin care".

"Wait, you guys have mummies?" asked Bloom surprised.

"Yep. Left to dry in the sun in the hottest parts of the desert. If the corpses were still there a month later when people came back, you were declared to have been chosen by Solaria, and good goddess did everything back then revolve around her, and then you were shoved into an underground tomb along with some earthly riches and maybe a slave or ten. As I said, not the best part of our history," she said with a wince. "I mean, people still get mummified nowadays, but it's done under a lot more controlled circumstances with less people being buried alive and I just realised I've gotten way off track," said Stella suddenly, cocking her head.

"I don't mind. I find it really fascinating," said Bloom, a wide smile on her lips. "I mean, the parts about your ancestors doing horrible things are kinda disturbing, but the rest is fascinating. You really know a lot about your people's history".  
"Well, I am the heir to the throne. Kinda's expected of me" said Stella. "Had tons of history classes when I was younger. Anyways, that was totally not what I was telling you about. Let's see," she continued, scratching her chin with a contemplative look. "Ah yes, ancestor died. His heir took over and then follows a long history of alliances, backstabbing, murder, secrecy, civil war and lots of the fun stuff. Fortunately, we're a lot more civil nowadays. At least now, branch crisis's only result in years of deals and trading back and forth, not fratricide and wine poisoning," sighed Stella, then she noticed her red-headed companions confused look.

"I assume it has nothing to do with gardening," she said.

"A branch crisis? No, not at all," replied Stella. "Okay, see, there's a lot of branches in the royal family. Different dynasties descended from the multitude of children our esteemed ancestor had. I'm from the Guildenstern branch, thus the last name. And if I were to, like, marry someone outside the family, then that would be that, Guildenstern branch sits on the throne. But if I were to marry, say, a cousin of the, for example, Fortinbras family, then there's a branch crisis, because there can't be two branches on the throne, because traditions I guess. Then we have to figure out which branch has the throne, because that's super duper important for some reason," sighed Stella. "It can take a long time. The one for my father and mother started before I was born and ended when I was seven". Suddenly, a glimmer of pain appeared in her eyes and she looked away from Bloom.

"Something wrong?" asked the redhead concerned.

"No, nothing," answered the blonde, her voice a bit strained. "Anyway, the whole deal with the ring is that the stone had a dragonflame in it. A sort of primal piece of pure magical energy," explained Stella, turning back toward Bloom, her face again lit by a smile. "But there wasn't a lot of dragonflame in the rock, so when the stone got cut up, it stayed in the ring. There's actually nothing divine about it, but those who still worship the sun goddess insist that it was she who sent the rock to the planet in the first place".

"So, did she?" asked Bloom.

The Solarian princess shrugged and said: "I tots don't know".

…

"Techna, slow down," said Musa, her spine still protesting from the powerful hit that it took less than an hour ago, as she struggled to keep up with the infuriated girl stomping down the road. "You're not thinking clearly right now. You need to take a moment to relax".

The scarred girl snorted annoyed and asked: "What makes ya think I need a rest?"

"Well, you're looking for Cloud Tower, yes? And yet, you haven't checked online," answered the black haired girl.

Techna immediately stopped, thought about it for a moment, then replied: "Yeah, okay, so maybe you have a point". She looked around for a moment, saw a bench and promptly sat down on it, already unpacking her laptop.

"So," started Musa as she sat down besides the magenta haired girl. "I guess there's no way I'm going to convince you this is a stupid thing to do?"

"Maybe it is stupid. But if there is one thing I have learned, it is that if you let people walk all over you, they will keep doing it, because then you will be nothing but a doormat to them," replied Techna as her computer monstrosity booted up with a ominous rattling. "Here we go. Now, let's get an address on Cloud Tower".

"Before you do that, could you look up Stella's ring? I'm kinda curious what the deal is with it," said Musa. "It might also explain what those witches are trying to accomplish".

"Why not," replied Techna and started clicking around, browsing between pages. "Alright, I think this is it. The Ring of Solaris, aka the Sceptre of Solaria, most notable part of the Solaria Regalia," she read of a web page. "Currently belongs to the Guildenstern branch of the royal family of Solaria. It was carved from a meteorite 46 years pre-MWT. Contains a dragonflame and thus has the capacity to empower the magic of the wielder, plus enchanted with spells of teleportation with allows the wielder to move between worlds, plus transmogrification enchantments allows it to shift from ring form to sceptre". She looked away from the screen for a moment, starring into the night sky.

"You look like your pondering something," said Musa.

"Just thinking about the tale of the Great Dragon," said Techna nostalgic, returning her gaze to her comrade. "Heard it a lot in the soup kitchens back in Zenith".

"Really? I've only heard bits of it. Mostly in relations to classes about dragon flames and shades," replied Musa.

"Wanna hear the full tale?" asked the scarred girl with a smile. When her black haired companion nodded, Techna started the tale. "Alright, here's the version everyone agrees on. A long time ago, before even the first kingdom of magi had appeared, there were no worlds, only darkness. An endless abyss that stretched into infinity. But then, there was a light and the Great Dragon entered the void. It spewed its flames into the darkness and from its fire grew forth thousands of worlds, each one a perfect piece of divine art. And on these worlds, people appeared. But these people where like dolls, like machines, working in predetermined patterns, all according to the Great Dragon's design. After a while, the Great Dragon grew tired and decided to rest. But in its sleep, its Shadow grew curious and flew off to see the worlds on its own. Wherever the Dragon's Shadow went, small disturbances happened, and the perfect worlds changed. Life awakened and the people broke free from the patterns, grew curious and emotional. And they in turn disturbed the perfect worlds even more. The Dragon's Shadow was fascinated with this and studied all these newly enlightened creatures and how they in turn created new things. It delighted in all the unforeseen changes, all the unpredictable things that flared up about it. And then, quite suddenly, the Shadow found itself lost in the worlds, unable to return to the Great Dragon. And forth from the Great Dragon streamed its Breath, to search for the missing Shadow. It scoured the worlds, but the worlds where no longer perfect, and the Breath found itself confused by the chaos of the worlds. Looking for the lost Shadow, it itself became lost. And unable to regain its Breath, the Great Dragon slept in quietly, never to awaken. Without the Dragon, the Breath perished; falling apart and spreading its sparks across the worlds. And it became magic. The Shadow felt what had happened, and it its grief, it tore itself apart, small motes of darkness falling across the worlds, attaching themselves to the living things that so delighted the Shadow. And the Shadow became the knacks," Techna finished and looked at Musa, who starred enthralled at her.

"You know, you're really an amazing storyteller," she said after a slight pause.

"Nah, just heard it a lot," replied Techna. "Besides, there's many branches of Dragon Worshippers that would say that I left out important stuff".

"Like what?" asked Musa curiously, pondering what could possibly be missing from the tale.  
"Well, Pureflames believe the Shadow was the Dragon's evil side while the Breath was its good side. Sleepers believe that the Great Dragon was an unsatisfiable tyrant that constantly reforged the universe, and that the Shadow ran away as part of a cunning plan. Dragon Utopians believe that we live in an unfinished world and should the Great Dragon awaken, it will forge our worlds into a paradise. Domino Supremacists believe the Great Dragon rested in their world and gifted the first king of Domino a great dragonflame before dying, which is why they should rule everything. Honestly, there are a lot of spins on that particular story," replied Techna, counting versions on her fingers. "And that was just a couple of the big ones".

"Which one do you believe in?" the black haired girl asked.

Techna thought about it for a moment, her brows creased in folds of deep thinking, then said: "Honestly, I don't know. Maybe the Great Dragon created the worlds, maybe it's just a tale. I just really like it". She turned her head and asked: "What about you?"

"I think the story was a way for people to explain why we are here and why dragonflames and dragonshades exist," replied Musa.

"Well, that is one way to look at it. Say, what'ya know about these dragonthingamajigs?" asked Techna, curiosity sparked.

"Just the things we learned in school. Dragonflames are primal fragments that create massive amounts of magical energy. Dragonshades on the other hand are more like free flowing knacks," replied Musa. "And if any is found, then it can be bound into artefacts, same as with any magic, and used by just about anyone".

"So maybe that's what they want. Let me just check up on this dragonflame business" said Techna, browsing with a look of intensity.

…

"So, do you know anything else about these dragonflames?" Bloom asked.

"Hmm, not much I'm afraid. I knew the Royal Dynasty of Domino had them," replied Stella.

"Like with your ring?" asked the redhead.

"Well, no, since they actually had the dragonflame in them," Stella replied. "It was a family thing. All members of the family in direct lineage of one of their multi-great-ancestors had the dragonflame and thus vastly increased magical potency compared to most normal folk".

"Wouldn't that mean that they created more dragonflames?" asked Bloom, scratching her head.

"Oh yes. Some of their ancestors claimed this meant they had been chosen by the Great Dragon to administrate all of creation," replied Stella. "Tussled with my family roughly nine hundred years ago. You can still find patches of Solaria that's been turned into glass due to that bummer of a business. But Dad says they had changed a lot, like us. Well, until..." she began and sighed.

"Until what?" asked Bloom.

"Well, until they all died about fifteen years ago," replied Stella. "Wiped out by a particularly mean bunch of witches. A very grim business. Sparx never fully recovered".

"You know, I sorta hoped that there would be less tales of tragedy and bloodshed, and more tales of brave knights and pretty unicorns out here," moaned Bloom sadly.

…

"Here's a Multiclopedia article," said Techna triumphantly.

"Those things aren't particularly reliable. Anyone can edit them," replied Musa.

"Don't underestimate the collective nerd power of all the multiverses' online users," replied Techna with a grin. "Let's see. Lots of stuff we already know, blah, blah, blah, blah, here's something. Dragonflames are believed by many modern scientists to be the very source of magic and possibly primordial fragments of the multiverses' creation. Interestingly, while dragonflames are usually found bound to an object of sorts, they can also bind themselves to people, in which case new dragonflames are created through the bearers progeny, as is the case with the Royal Dynasty of Domino".

"Urgh, that was some nasty business," said Musa. "The main family line and several supporting houses got wiped out. The Camarilla family only survived because two of them was on business in Eraklyon, while the Bijoux family only survived because a couple of them was vacationing on Harmony".

"Yikes. I barely heard anything about it. Not a lot about ten year's old news in the newspapers I read," cringed Techna. "I think I met a couple of former Domino citizens once". She looked at the computer and said: "Enough of that, I have an address. Let's go rearrange the faces of those three little brats".

"Brats who are senior to us in age and power," mumbled Musa and she got up after the now once again eager Techna.

…

Not far away, up in the student floors of Cloud Tower, Icy walked into her apartment. Compared to Alfea, student clusters where a lot smaller, with three private rooms surrounding a common room which linked up to a small kitchen and bathroom. The white haired girl turned and entered one of the rooms, where Darcy sat with arcane instruments of various kinds, investigating the ring.

"So?" asked Icy. "Any progress?"

"You're not going to like what I have to tell you," sighed the dirty blonde, removing a pair of googles. "This thing doesn't have as much dragonflame in it as we suspected".

"Go on," said Icy, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"It's more like a dragonspark actually," sighed Darcy, beginning to pace back and forth. "There is no way we could ever draw the necessary amount of energy from this thing. Even if we found some sort of receptacle to hold the energy we could draw from it, we would spend it much quicker than we would ever be able to replenish it. Which would stop our plan before it even begins".

"So that means.." said Icy slowly, voiced tinged with displeasure.

"We're back to square one. Well, not entirely. We've committed several crimes we will have to keep under wraps," she added. "On the bright side, the ring is still useful to us. Teleportation and magic empowerment will both come in handy," continued Darcy, holding up the ring. "So there's that".

Icy sighed in annoyance, rubbing her forehead. "So, what do we do now?" she asked after a short pause.

"We try finding another source. It's not like it's the only dragonflame out there," replied Darcy. "We could possibly use several artefacts in conjunction with one another to generate and sustain the required energy, but let's make that plan B for now".

"Just fantastic. I'll go tell Stormy right away," said Icy and left the room with a rather cross expression on her face.

…

Hours later, with the skies nothing but ebony darkness lit up only by small stars that barely shined through the thick layer of clouds, Bloom and Stella wandered through the forest, guided by the flashlight-esque beam from the blonde's finger.

"You sure this is a good idea?" whispered Bloom, starring into the darkness of the surrounding woodland.

"Well, if we took the main door, they would totally know we were coming," replied Stella. "Look, we have arrived. Welcome to Cloud Tower".

Bloom looked ahead and looked up, the massive twisting spires of Cloud Tower framed against the thunderclouds covering the sky. Lighting flashed, briefly illuminating its warped façades, grinning gargoyles and atrocious statues adorning its sides, seemingly leering at the girls.

"Super cool and super creepy," said Bloom in awe.

"It's pretty good. But I still prefer Alfea though," said Stella as she and her ginger companion walked up to the rocky base of the school. "Now, according to the brochure, there should be an emergency exit somewhere".

"Wait, how do you know that?" asked Bloom confused as they circled the intimidating structure.

"It was in the brochure. You know, for when visiting friends on other schools," explained Stella. "It's so no one gets left behind in case of disaster. Except we will use it to get in. Ah, there it is," she finished, pointing her light at a cave opening.

The two girls walked into the cold cavern, guided by Stella's light. The cave's floor was smooth, scoured for imperfections that could get in the way of an evacuation. The walls, on the other hand, where a mix of a natural roughness and smoother sections where the cave had been expanded. It didn't take long for the two girls to find the door that lead into the tower, a dark purplish thing that matched the rest of the structure.

"So, what now? Can you laser through it?" asked Bloom.

"No way. Without my ring, the most I could do is make the handle uncomfortably warm," replied Stella with a head shake. "Can't you, like, melt the lock with fire?"

"I'm still not good at creating fire consistently," admitted Bloom, looking a bit embarrassed. "And even if I could conjure some fire, I'm not sure we could make it hot enough to melt a door lock". She looked around the cave. "Maybe we could use a rock to bash it open. But that would probably make a lot of noise. Or maybe if we find a sturdy stick in the woods, we could pry the door open by..." The redhead was interrupted by a click and was surprised to see Stella open the door.

"Huh, well would you look at that. It's tots not locked at all," said the Solarian princess with a surprised grin. "Guess those witches aren't as smart as they think".

…

On the top floor, inside a spacious office looking much like a darker version of Faragonda's, Headmistress Griffin sat in her massive chair, enjoying a cup of tea while looking through a report. Opposite her sat Nash, happily pouring himself another cup of hot tea.

"So," began Griffin. "They chucked potions at each other".

"Yes, a rather unfortunate incident. Luckily, I could fix it. I gather the two of them has been at each other's throats for a while," sighed Bittersmoke while gently letting sugar dump into his tea. "I would advise taking them both to counselling. They do seem to have trouble managing their anger".

"I'll take that up for consideration. I will need to confer with the other teachers about their behaviour first," answered Griffin.

"Of course," agreed Bittersmoke, while sipping his tea. "But I do know that..."

A sudden rumbling beeping emitted from a glass ball that was attached to the wall, looking rather much like a giant eye, interrupted him.

"Hold that thought," said Griffin, wandering over to the glass eye. "Show me". An image of a redhead and a blonde girl sneaking though the halls manifested. "Fairies," concluded Griffin.

"Huh, well that's weird," said Bittersmoke. "Think they have been invited?"

"I guess we'll find out. Would you mind getting them?" asked Griffin as she returned to her seat.

"Not at all," replied Bittersmoke happily, before finishing his tea and heading out the door.

…

"Well, here we are. Last chance to go home," said Musa, starring up at Cloud Tower.

"I'm not turning back. No massive, thundercloud surrounded, phallic building shall scare this gal off," grumbled Techna and marched up to the front door. She knocked hard on the metal, intent on not being ignored. With an uncanny sound, an eye melted forth from the door. It was completely black, save for a purple reptilian slit in it.

"I'm here for three witches. One white haired with a thing for blue clothes. One dark blonde with tasteless make-up and one with the worst attempt at an afro dressed in red," demanded Techna, while Musa stared in shock at the eye. The dark orb stared at them for a moment, before disappearing.

"Well, that happened. I just got glared at by a door," sighed Musa. "So, think it worked? They might just ignore you like they would a door to door salesman".

"Dunno. Guess we'll find out," said Techna with a shrug.

…

While Bloom and Stella gingerly walked down the halls, they suddenly heard footsteps. Immediately, they jumped into a dark classroom, hastily trying to avoid being seen. Walking down the hall, looking rather tired and grumpy, was the witches from before.

"I just don't get it. Who the fuck wants to talk with us at this hour," said the puffy haired one with a yawn.

"Probably just one of our class mates that got locked out and don't want the teachers to know," said the white haired, as the three of them passed by the opening Bloom and Stella hid in. "So, what should we demand for this little favour?"

"Depends on who it is. If it's Jan again, we could get access to his aircycle," speculated the dirty blonde. "Or if it's Wendy, we could have her 'help' Stormy with her potion homework".

"That would be frickin' fantastic," replied the red clad girl gleefully

As they rounded a corner, Bloom and Stella popped out. "I guess this means we're going the right way," said Stella triumphantly and hurried down the hall. "Come on Bloom. Their room has..." She stopped when the walls suddenly closed in front of her, stopping her from progressing. Behind them, the various doors didn't just shut, but their openings completely closed as if they were mouths, while the hallway also clamped shut in the other end.

"Well, what now?" asked Bloom worried.

"I... I have no idea," answered Stella.

…

When Icy opened the front door, she expected a lot of things. One of the things she didn't expect was a rather pissed off looking Techna, with Musa right behind her.

"Oh. It's you," said the white haired girl disdainfully, pushing the door fully open. "What do you want?"

"Well, what I want to do is bend you over backwards and force feed you your own ass, but since I'm busy, I'll be satisfied with the ring," said Techna in a low growl.

The white haired witch and the red clad witch looked at each other for a moment, before bursting out in laughter. Only the third witch seemed like she was prepared for the possibility of taking her seriously.

"That's cute. She thinks she can beat you, Icy" gasped the puffy haired one.

"Downright adorable," said Icy.

"Really? Icy? That's the best your parents could come up with?" asked Techna with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't talk about my family like that, whelp, it isn't healthy," replied Icy, although she was still smiling. "Tell you what, since a smear of fairy guts would only stink up the front door, why don't you take you little girlfriend here and flitter all the way back to Alfea, because our magic is ten times stronger than anything a pathetic fairy like you could ever..." Techna's fist lashed out and smacked into Icy's face with a nauseating crack, sending the older witch stumbling back before falling on her ass.

"Magic isn't all it's cracked up to be," replied Techna threateningly.

Two small streams of blood poured from Icy's flattened nose, a look of dazed shock on her face. Silence fell upon the scene. "That looked like it hurt," stated the dirty blonde.

"OF COURSE IT HURT!" screamed Icy, pained tears at the corners of her eyes.

"You will pay for that, bitch," snarled Stormy, charging energy in her hands.

Techna reacted immediately, hurling her pipe, which smacked against the girl's shin with a dull thud.

"FUCK! DAMN! SHIT! PISS!" cursed the girl, jumping on one leg while cradling the wounded shin with her hands.

Techna's arm flowed with experienced motion, immediately pulling a grenade from her pocket and hurling it at the final witch. However, the dirty blonde immediately ducked and the grenade flew uselessly over her head, bounding of the tower's wall into the surrounding darkness. She too reacted quickly, with a gesture manifesting a solid cloud of darkness around Techna's head.

The girl was momentarily stopped by the loss of sight, which resulted in her getting tackled to the ground. "I'LL RIP YOUR EYES OUT!" screamed Icy, her voice sounding slightly warped from her broken nose. There was a dull thump and the white haired girl found herself hurled off her target. She crashed into a bush and stared infuriated at the offender, Musa.

"STORMY! GET HER!" demanded the fallen witch, while she untangled herself from the bush. Stormy let go of her shin with one hand and with a resounding boom, she flung a bolt of lightning at Musa, who threw herself to the side, the tree behind her exploding in charred cinders.

The black haired girl immediately jumped up, her hands thrumming with energy, when she was shocked by her opponents suddenly having duplicated themselves.  
"So, guess which one is the right one," said every single copy of the dirty blonde simultaneously.

Musa tried to figure out where to aim, but immediately several Icys flung spear-like formations of ice at her. Musa dodged again, feeling the cold piercing of the one real icicle slicing past her, carving open a shallow wound in her side. Icy readied for another throw, but suddenly a blinding light exploded, annihilating the illusionary clones.

"Can't believe that worked again," commented Techna as she jumped to her feet, another grenade already in her hand.

"YOU ARE SO FUCKING DEAD!" raged Stormy, readying another bolt of lightning.

"THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF ALL OF YOU!" sounded another booming voice.

Musa froze, dark thoughts clouding her head. A sense of hopeless pessimism descended upon her and she could feel the magic in her wither. Techna too looked quite disturbed.

On the other side, Icy and her friends felt hope and happiness swell in them, their rage swallowed by unrestrained optimism. Icy's charged magic ebbed out, buried under an avalanche of fluttery feelings.

"I do expect there is a good reason for having a brawl outside of the front door," said Zarathustra in a low, threatening voice while stepping out of the school. With a gesture, the unnatural feelings that had fogged the girls´ minds lifted.

"She attacked me," said Icy immediately, pointing at Techna.

"And of course you have done absolutely nothing to provoke her, have you, Isabella?" asked the witch in a disbelieving voice. "You are all coming with me to the headmistress´ office, and yes, that includes you two," she continued, pointing at Techna and Musa.

…

"Maybe there's a secret button somewhere," guessed Stella, as she kept poking the walls. "Found anything yet, Bloom?"

"Nope. Not a single loose stone," replied Bloom and sighed. "We're going to be stuck here until tomorrow at this rate".

Suddenly, one end of the hall opened up, revealing the crooked form of Professor Bittersmoke.

"Hello," he greeted them warmly. "You two seem to be awfully far away from your school".

"Uhm, yeah," said Stella sheepishly.

"Here to visit some friends?" asked the elderly man conversationally.

"It's a bit more complicated than that," admitted Bloom.

"Right, well, then we'll get it sorted out with the headmistress," said Bittersmoke and turned around. "Come with me, girls. I don't bite and neither does Griffin".

"It's not being bitten that worries me," mumbled the blonde as they followed the elderly witch.

…

Griffin's hands were folded, a displeased look on her face as she scanned the group before her. "Well, the lot of you certainly had a busy night," she started. "I will be generous and assume there is some sort of explanation for this. And it had better be a good one. We teachers may sometimes look the other way when somebody's lover visits them outside the weekend, but that does not mean I will accept students trying to kill each other at our front door while others break into our school". Her voice was low but intense, rooting the girls before her to the spot. "You, the blonde. What is your name?"

"Stella Guildenstern," replied the Solarian princess with a voice much like a mouse.

"And why exactly did you and your friend sneak into our school?" asked the headmistress.

"It's a long story," answered the blonde, scratching her neck.

"And we have a lot of time. Because none of you are going anywhere until I've got an explanation," replied the headmistress.

"Well, see, those three stole my ring, the Sceptre of Solaria. So I kinda wanted it..." mumbled Stella, her voice disappearing under the withering glare Griffin gave her.

The headmistress rose up from her chair and touched the glass eye. "Ediltrude. Are you there?"

"Yes, miss Griffin. What can I do for you?" sounded a voice from the orb.

"I want the cluster where Isabella, Maria and Darcy lives investigated. Supposedly, there should be a ring there which belongs to the Solarian family," replied Griffin.

"At once," sounded the voice from the orb.

"Now the question is, why did you not just contact us when it happened?" asked Griffin, returning to her seat.

"Uhm, well, the witches could have, you know, maybe, tried to hide..." Stella trailed off again when Griffin's piercing gaze fell upon her.

"You don't have a lot of faith in the Cloud Tower's staff, do you?" she asked, to which Stella had no reply. The headmistress turned her attention from the Solarian princess to Techna. "So, Cloud Tower noticed your entire battle, including the part where Miss Isabella tried to threaten you. But why are you here in the first place?"

"Well, after having them send an ogre after us and kidnapping my galpal Stella here, not to mention disguising one of them as Stella in order to deceive us, I wanted to deal with them myself," admitted Techna honestly.

"This is becoming quite the story," Zarathustra commented.

"I agree. I can't wait for an explanation for all of this," replied the headmistress, eyeing the three witches.

At that moment, Ediltrude entered the office, ring in hand. "It was there, hidden in a closet," she said, placing the ring on the desk.

Griffin's gaze became extremely hard as she returned her attention to the three witches. Bloom wouldn't have been surprised if the three of them spontaneously turned to dust by the sheer force in the headmistress' withering glare.

"Infiltration, brawling, kidnapping, mercenaries, identity and regular theft. Actions more befitting of enemy nations at war than rivalling students. What in the name of the ancients were the three of you thinking?"

"I'll admit, in hindsight, this whole thing kinda spun out of control," said Darcy, sounding sincerely regretful.

"Go on. I can't wait to hear your reasoning behind this," said the headmistress coldly.

"Well, you see, it started at the First Year's Dance last year. We met Blondie here and she was all like 'fairies are superior to witches in every way. They can never be as good as fairies. They totally shouldn't let a school for witches even exist, because they're all, like, bad people'" explained Darcy, briefly imitating Stella's voice. "She was like that the entire night, only stopping when teachers got close enough to hear her".

"You did?" asked Bloom, turning to the blonde besides her.

"No, do I seem like a person who would do that?" asked Stella shocked. When her friends responded with silence and contemplative looks, she huffed and said: "Thanks for the backup".

"Anyway, so after an entire night of that, we decided we wanted to get back at her. You know, with a prank or something. And we came up with the idea of stealing her ring. We were of course going to give it back," said Darcy hurriedly when she saw the headmistress´ expression darken.

"And what would the point of that be?" asked Zarathustra incredulously.

"Well, it would prove she shouldn't underestimate witches," replied Darcy. "Okay, so maybe we didn't think that part all the way through".

"You don't say," replied the scarred witch dryly.

"So, we pooled our money and hired this guy to get the ring. Except he kinda went overboard. Though we only found that out later," continued Darcy.

"Oh, like when you send him at us in the alley?" asked Musa disbelieving.

"He was just supposed to grab you. It's not my fault ogres are so violent and dense," replied Darcy defensively. "Besides, why do you think we fired him and hired another to help us?"

"You're trying to say that wasn't your ogre gopher helping you during the whole kidnapped Stella debacle?" asked Musa disbelieving.

"That was clearly a bearded man, not an ogre. His name is Simon, by the way?" replied Darcy. "But yeah, then we tried to lure Stella out on a false date, she showed up and we tried to steal the ring sneakily, she attacked and we accidentally knocked her out".

Everyone turned to look at Stella. "Funny story," said the blonde with an embarrassed chuckle. "I can't actually remember what happened".

"I then disguised myself as her to get the ring, since she didn't bring it. Had to run when psycho girl here tried to brain me with a pipe," continued Darcy, gesturing at Techna with the thumb.

"You tried to hurt Bloom," hissed the scarred girl.

"Actually, I just tried to keep her quiet, because she figured out who I was. Seemed prudent with you lot," continued Darcy. "Anyway, they tracked us down, a scuffle ensued and we fled with the ring. And the rest you know".

The headmistress pinched the bridge of her nose, looking like it took all her willpower to remain calm. "That has to be the dumbest thing anyone in the history of my time as headmistress has ever done for such an inane and pointless reason," she said, her voice low and threatening. "You three are lucky that I'm not expelling you on the spot. Your desire for vengeance has brought several people in danger, you have wasted the police's time and resources not to mention you could have caused all manners of further problems. The thoughtlessness and stupidity, the petty drive for revenge, to go so far, there are no words to describe how low the three of you have sunk. But I will be somewhat merciful and let you remain as students. In fact, since you all like Alfea so much that you even impersonated a student, you will get to spend one day out of every weekend helping the staff there for the rest of the school year. Am I clear?" she asked with a cold smirk on her face.

"Yes headmistress," replied the three witches, looking at the floor.

"As for you four," continued Griffin, turning to the fairies. "You have also shown poor judgement, a similar drive for revenge and nothing short of disdain for the law. You have acted solely with you own interests in mind, scorning figures of authority for Dragon knows what reason. However, it is not up to me to judge or punish you. That will be Faragonda's job". At that moment, a cell phone on her table rung. She picked it up and said: "Headmistress Guinevere Griffin. Whom am I speaking with? Oh, hi Faragonda. Four students heading for Cloud Tower? Funny you should bring that up".

…

Bloom wasn't sure why, but the glare Faragonda sent them as they stood in her office, early morning light streaming through the great window, was a lot worse that Griffin's. Probably because she had added disappointment to it.

"What were you all thinking?" asked the elderly headmistress. "Or rather, were you thinking at all? The police was on the case and I specifically told you all not to interfere. It is not for school students to engage in reckless vigilantism, no matter what. I don't care whether the witches explanation or yours are true, you have all acted with neither thought nor care". Bloom started to wonder if it would be possible to sink into the ground out of nothing but pure shame.

"Flora and Musa," started the headmistress, looking at the two girls. "You both should have known better. Flora, you walked away and that was the right thing to do, but I cannot ignore your participation in these activities up until that point".

"Neither should you. I will accept whatever punishment you deem necessary," replied Flora, facing the headmistress with stoic dignity.

"Musa, you didn't turn back when Flora did, but you only followed you friend out of concern and only fought the witches to protect her. That is admirable, though, like with Flora, I neither can nor will ignore your participation. The two of you will be assisting Professor Palladium in his greenhouse over the next couple of weeks. I'll give you precise dates once I have talked to him". The two girls nodded, acknowledging her decision.

"Pollyanna," continued the headmistress and Bloom briefly wondered whom she was addressing, until she noticed Techna cringing at the sound of the name. "I will admit that there are moments where open hostility is necessary. This wasn't one of those moments. You should have turned back long before it came to blows. However, given your background, I am willing to give you some leeway. Same for you, Bloom," continued Faragonda, shifting her gaze. "While breaking into Cloud Tower was wrong, I am willing to consider the fact that you are unused to many of the facets of how life works here. Therefore, you both will assist Nurse Ophelia during the next month's time".

The addressed girls nodded.

"You, Stella, do not have the luxury of that excuse," continued the headmistress, focusing her full attention on Stella. "You, of all the people in this room, should have known better. Not only are you well aware of the laws of the land, you are also a second year student. I am very disappointed in you and your complete disregard for authority. You may be a princess, but that doesn't mean you have the right to do whatever fancies you".

Bloom glanced at her friend, who looked just about ready to die from shame.

"You will be cleaning the halls and toilets outside the student clusters. That is, all of them. And you will be assisting Professor DuFour in her workshop for... well, I haven't decided yet for how long. I guess you will find out," finished Faragonda. Her look of strict disappointment melted away, replaced by one of deep concern. "I do hope this will be a lesson for you all. It is an unfortunate habit of fairies, to plunge into things without consideration. I hope, for your own sake girls, that this has rid you of that".

As the five of them left the room, Musa said: "Well, at least we're still students".

"That was very merciful on our headmistresses' part," replied Flora. "Though I guess she did consider a lot of things as mitigating circumstances".

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Bloom asked Stella, who shuffled along while starring at her feet.

"Don't want to talk about it," came her barely audible reply.

Bloom decided to give her friend some space and asked Flora: "What did Faragonda mean by that remark about fairies?"  
"Have you ever noticed a pleasant buzzing when using magic?" asked the brunette. When the redhead nodded, she continued: "Once you learn how to really draw upon your positive feelings to boost your magic, it becomes quite the rush. Throughout history there have been fairies who have, more or less drunk on happy thoughts, done horrible things simply because they could, at the moment, see no wrong in it".

"Oh," said Bloom. She felt quite unsure how to feel about that particular revelation. After a moment, she turned to Techna and asked: "Pollyanna?"

Techna cringed again and said: "Shit, I kinda hoped you'd all forget that".

"Your name isn't Techna?" asked the redhead surprised.

"Of course not, who would name their kid Techna?" answered the scarred girl with an eye roll. "My real name is Pollyanna Clearwater, I just go by Techna because my real name doesn't fit me at all".

"Well, I guess that's okay," said Bloom, a cheeky grin slowly forming. "I mean, I guess we could respect your desires and just call you Techna. Would you like that, Pollyanna?"

"I know where you sleep," came the reply as the girls walked down the hall.


	7. Among Friends

Chapter 7: Among Friends

The following day at noon, the five girls found themselves in Griselda's office, awaiting assignment for their duties. The deputy was currently comparing some files with something on her computer screen, while the five fairies waited in silence. After an uncomfortable amount of waiting, Griselda finally said: "I believe I have managed to balance your punishment with your lessons without robbing you of too much free time. I hope you appreciate the fact that I didn't just cram these hours in at the first available spot".

"Very much," sighed Bloom happily. She had feared her new extra work would make school even harder.

"Here's your updated schedules. Keep them until your allotted punishment is over," said the deputy, handing out the five schedules. "And you're all starting today, just for your information, young ladies".

"Which mean we'll have to get going," Musa said to Flora after going through her schedule. "We have to help Palladium in ten minutes".

"If you end up being late, just tell him that it was my fault, because finalizing the schedules took some time," added Griselda. "Now off with you".

…

Ten minutes later, the two girls opened the doors into Alfea's greenhouse. It was a massive building, big enough to hold several meter tall trees. Stone roads snaked through a cornucopia of beautiful flowers in every imaginable colour. Their shapes varied too, from small stumpy green ones with thorns to ginormous purple stalks that exploded into great multicoloured leaves big enough to act as an umbrella for two.

"Wow, this place is amazing," said Musa in awe.

"It is quite the collection," agreed Flora impressed.

"Ah, girls. Happy that you have arrived," hailed Palladium, as he walked up to them, wearing an apron, gardening gloves and a little scarf to keep his hair out of his face. "You seem to like it".

"It's stupendous," said Musa, circling around to take in every single facet of the flowery wonderland. "Did you make all this?"

"Oh no," answered Palladium with a chuckle. "I have done a lot with this place and added a lot of plants of my own, but the majority was done by my predecessor, a fairy named Eldora. I took over both her job and maintaining her greenhouse after she left the school".

"It is still quite an achievement Professor. Maintaining such an array of various plants can not be an easy task," said Flora.

"Precisely why I'm happy to have your help. Today, several of the plants needs to have new nourishment added to the mulch they stand in," explained the elf as he led them over to several sacks standing in a corner. "After that, they'll have to be watered to help the vitamins seep into the ground".

"So, all the plants or just some of them?" asked Musa, while Palladium opened one of the sacks.

"Oh that's right," he exclaimed, getting up again. "See, I developed this system after I took over from Eldora, to help me keep track of things. All the plants have been assigned a colour based on their needs, thus I can roughly keep track of when I need to water and nourish them. Some only need a dose once a year, while others must be watered every other day. Today, all with a purple, red and yellow sign needs their soil re-enriched," explained the elf while pouring the mix into a wheelbarrow. "Meanwhile, I'll be doing the same for the plants in the aviary".

"We have an aviary?" asked Flora. "I never noticed that".

"Most people mistake it for part of the greenhouse," explained Palladium. "The door's right over there. Don't go in there, however. The birds can be a bit... wary of strangers. If you finish the job before I'm back, don't go in after me. Just take the time to relax until I'm back". With that, the elf wandered off with the wheelbarrow, whistling a jaunty tune.

"I suppose we should just get started," said Musa, pulling out another wheelbarrow.

…

About an hour later, the two sweating girls poured another load of the nourishing mixtures into a flowerbed filled with glittering roses, called twilight thorns, when Palladium returned, smiling, sweating and with a bleeding wound on his cheek.

"Professor, what has happened to you?" asked Flora shocked.

"Well, I accidentally scared one of the birds. No big deal," answered the elf with a shrug. "So, how goes the work?"

"We are progressing," replied Flora. "I can not say for certain how far we have come, since we do not know how many flowerbeds of the given colours there are, but I would dare say that we have checked almost half the greenhouse".

"That's good. How about a short break?" asked Palladium. "I got some water in the fridge".

"That's exactly what I would like right now," Musa answered happily.

…

As they sat at the small garden table, Palladium pouring chilled water into cups, the elf asked: "So what do you two think of the greenhouse now that you'd had more time to explore it?".

"It is an amazing work of art that you and your predecessor have created," said Flora honestly.

"Remind me a lot of Harmony. Like the Wek Gardens," said Musa before drinking some water.

"That makes me so happy to hear. My grandfather, Jarlan Ruthenium, had a big hand in helping with the gardens," explained Palladium proudly.

"Wait, you're related to that Ruthenium?" replied Musa astonished. "He's super famous on Harmony".

"Oh, I am well aware of my grandfather's fame. It's well deserved too in my humble opinion," replied the elf. "Last I heard from him, he was helping out shaping the Laya Mountain Range to optimize its effect on the local weather pattern".

"So you have quite the family on Harmony," deduced Flora.

"Yep. My family has lived on and shaped Harmony for many generation. Forty-six generations last time I checked the family tree," said Palladium after a moment's thought.

"So, how is Harmony anyway? I know only little of it," asked Flora.

"It's a wonderful place. Calm, gentle and beautiful," sighed Musa nostalgic.

"Not to mention a very peaceful place," continued Palladium. "Natural low tectonic activity, very temperate climate all around, an abundance of natural resources plus a generally very pleasant weather meant that Harmony was a very nice place even before it was shaped into becoming even safer," explained Palladium. "That combined with a very low crime rate, plus with efficient social security, education and so on has made Harmony one of the most attractive places for people to live. The fact that moving there is still cheap also helps a lot".

"Sound very much like the opposite of Limphea," added Flora thoughtfully.

"It very much is. Though Limphea has its own kind of beauty," agreed Palladium. He glanced at Musa and concernedly asked: "Something wrong?"

"Huh, what?" replied Musa, apparently lost in thought.

"You just looked a bit... depressed? No, that's not quite right. Moody? No, that doesn't work either," mumbled Palladium, fumbling with the words.

"I think sad is the word you are looking for, Professor," commented Flora. "None the less, you did look like something was bothering you".

"Thinking of Harmony made me think of Dad. And how disappointed he's going to be once he hears how much I screwed up," sighed Musa. "We've both invested a lot in getting me here and he will probably think I'm not taking my stay here seriously enough".

"Everybody makes mistakes," said Palladium, pouring himself a cup of water. "The important thing is learning from them".

"Yeah, but something like this is going on my end of year summary. It's going to drag down my grade," sighed Musa.

"Well, if you do well without any more vigilantism, it shouldn't matter much. Two points at most," replied the elf empathetically.

"That's still two points less than I would have had if I hadn't screwed up like that," replied Musa sadly.

"Hmm, I guess 'don't take studies that seriously' is not the advice you're looking for here," pondered Palladium while scratching his chin. "Well, if you want to compensate, you could always take some extra credit classes either here or in one of the two other schools".

"Like what? Do you have any music classes?" asked Musa eagerly.

"I don't think so, but I wouldn't take my spotty memory as fact," replied the elf. "Tell you what, I'll get the comprehensive list of extra credits classes and then you can look it over. How does that sound?"

"That would be great, professor," Musa replied with a relieved smile.

…

Two hours later, Bloom and Techna walked into the hospital wing, the latter wearing a worn out cap backwards. Nurse Ophelia looked up from her desk and greeted them with a warm smile, followed by a: "Hello, girls. How's the thumb, Techna?"

"As good as new," replied Techna and gave a thumbs up, while Bloom looked at her confused.

"It got stuck in one of my fans," clarified Techna with a carefree smile.

"Thank you, I don't want to know any more," replied Bloom with a shiver. "So, we're here to help. What can we help with?"

"Well, there's actually not a whole lot to do for students here in the hospital," replied Ophelia while getting up from her office chair. "The only thing you can help me with right now is sort the new supplies. Come with me, girls".

They followed the nurse into the supply room, a grey windowless room filled with medicine and equipment on a variety of shelves, each one colour coded. A couple of unopened boxes stood in the corner.

"Just look for the colour indicator on the supplies in question..." explained Ophelia as she withdrew a flask of liquid from the box. "...and then put it on the shelf with the same colour. Simple, yes?"

"Very" replied Bloom. "But why is it colour coded?"

"Uh, uh, I know that one," exclaimed Techna excitedly, jumping a bit. "That's to make sure everyone, no matter what world they are from, can recognise what the medical supplies are".

"That's right, Techna. Where did you learn that?" asked Ophelia as she opened another box.

"I volunteered a couple of places," answered the scarred girl. "Anyways, let's get sorting".

A couple of minutes passed as they sorted the different medicinal equipment. Then Techna asked: "So, what sort of town are you from, Ginger?"

Bloom pondered the question for a moment, before replying: "Well, Gardenia is kind of middle sized actually. It's a nice place, lots of parks and flowers. Big enough to have a shopping centre, but still small enough to avoid many of the problems the bigger cities on Earth have".

"And what problems would those be?" asked the magenta haired girl curiously.

"Well, usually crime, gangs and stuff. The only thing Gardenia has that resembles a gang is this group of teenagers with really silly hair. They're pretty harmless. The most they've ever done is having too loud parties and offending the fashion police," said Bloom, chuckling a bit at the memory, "What about you?"

"I'm from the city of Zenith," announced Techna in a very dramatic voice.

"I've been there once on vacation," said Ophelia, who was putting packets of gauze on a shelf. "Won a trip to a luxury hotel down there".

"I've heard they're great. Never been to one of them myself," replied Techna. "So, where are you from anyway?"

"Me? Nowhere special. Grew up in Magicalis, took a medical based education and here I am," replied Ophelia. "Not much more to it".

"I see. Anyway, Zenith, it's a great place. Though mostly if you have the money. Zenith is a major investor in magitech, the whole city is filled with machines and golems and stuff," explained Techna. "It's also a very cold town. It's very close to the southern pole. Helps keep all the machines running the town from overheating". She paused for a bit before continuing. "But I'm not from that part of town. I'm from the run-down, crime ridden bottom that most Zenithians would rather pretend doesn't exist".

"Oh," said Bloom, unsure how to respond. "Sorry".

"Don't be. There's kids with worse backgrounds than me," replied Techna with a smile. "Besides, I had fun. Ran with a couple of street kids on the snowy roads. Practically raised by them. Was in a couple of gangs. Rough life, but we had a hell of a good time," sighed Techna wistfully. "Mind you, it was rough and tough with those kids, but that's how it had to be".

"What about your parents?" asked Bloom carefully.

"My mom worked hard all day to keep us afloat. Had to get food on the table, but that also meant she wasn't home much. Never really bonded with her. My dad..." At this Techna snorted. "He knocked up my mom and then ran out the door the moment she talked about keeping me. So not much of a dad, actually". After a short pause, she continued: "Anyways, that was everyday life once I was old enough to be left home alone. Mom worked every day and what few days she didn't work was spent resting. I was on the streets, had some fun, got into some scrapes, beat some people up, got beaten up a couple of times and volunteered with a couple of organisations trying to make life a little easier for us all. You know, soup kitchens, free rehab, that sort of stuff. Worked a bit as a freelance mechanic once I started to get a hang of my knack. Then my knack got noticed and I got into Alfea thanks to their Scholarship Program. And that's my life in a nutshell," finished Techna with a dramatic flourish of her arm.

Bloom found herself a bit shocked at Techna's nonchalant attitude. She looked at the nurse, who seemed to be similarly surprised.

"Anyway, now my mom is putting on the pressure to make me get some high paying job or something," continued the scarred girl with a notable lack of enthusiasm.

"Like what?" asked Bloom.

"I don't know. Something important, probably involving a lot of paperwork," sighed Techna as she continued sorting things. "She's gotten this idea into her head that you need a lot of money to be happy. I just want to work with something I like and if it gets me rich, hey, bonus, but I don't need it".

"I'm sure your mother only has your best interest in mind," said Ophelia comfortingly.

"Don't I know it. Makes it worse actually, when people are being obnoxious out of caring," replied Techna. "Enough about that. What about your parents, Ginger?"

"My Dad's a firefighter and my Mom has her own flower shop," replied Bloom.

"Neat," replied Techna. "So, what are they like?"

"Oh, very nice and sup..." Bloom trailed off.

Techna looked at her, smiled and said: "Don't worry, I ain't the jealous type. I'm happy to hear you got a good pair of parents".

"Thanks," replied Bloom. "I was, just, you know, didn't want to rub it in, or..."

"Relax, Ginger. Didn't I already tell you I'm not jealous?" chuckled Techna and slapped Bloom on the shoulder. "Anyways, it looks like we're done here".

"That you are, girls," said Ophelia, folding the last box. "There really isn't anything else for you to do today, so you can go now".

"Thanks," said Bloom and Techna as they left the supply room.

…

Half an hour later, Techna was skipping down one of Alfea's halls while tunelessly whistling a commercial jingle. She rounded a corner, going nowhere in particular, when she noticed Stella, grumpily cleaning the hall with a mop.

"Hey there, Blondie, how goes the clean-up?" Techna greeted the Solarian princess.

"Horrible," moaned Stella."I got cobweb in my hair, I've totally gotten at least three blisters, my wrists hurt and my..." she suddenly stopped, starring at Techna. "Why are you wearing a bucket on your head?"

"Because I felt like it," replied Techna, her eyes obscured by the metal container.

"Spectacular, can I have it back. I'll, like, need it in a moment," said the blonde, reaching out with her hand.

"Sure thing," replied Techna, and swiftly placed the bucket on Stella's head. "Here you go".

The Solarian princess sighed and said: "Thanks".

"Well, you seem to be doing an AOK job so far," continued Techna, looking at the recently washed floor. "Though I'll admit, I am no cleaning expert. Welp, you have fun with that, Blondie," she finished, before skipping away in the opposite direction.

"I'll try," grumbled Stella dryly.

…

A couple of days later, a little bit into the afternoon, Bloom followed her schoolmates into the classroom, eagerly looking forward to her first class in magical philosophy. She had no idea what that was, but she looked forward to it. As she entered, she looked up behind the desk, where Mr. Avalon stood. His back was stiff and he awaited the students with a sort of stoic dignity that reminded Bloom of a military man. Or her Dad, during exercises at the job.

The moment the last student had found his seat, Avalon started with a: "Greetings, class. As you may or may not remember, I am Professor Erian Avalon, teacher in magical philosophy. Some of you may be speculating what this class is about". He started calmly pacing back and forth in measured steps. "Magic is very much linked to the mind and to the spirit. To cast magic, to effect the ebb and flow of magical energies, to draw upon one's knack, one has to have the right mindset". He stopped and turned towards the class. "And what exactly is the right mindset then?"

The students carefully looked upon one another, hushed whispers passing back and forth. Finally, one held up a hand.

"Susanne," acknowledged the teacher with a nod of his head.

"To think happy thoughts?" tried the female student.

"A simplification. It's also wrong," replied Avalon as he started pacing again. "You see, there isn't a singular right mindset. There is in fact many. Drawing upon optimistic and hopeful thoughts and memories is the one practised at Alfea, true, but many exist. Some are esoteric, only usable by a few well trained people. Others are broadly used. So it is with the way of the fairy. And that's what this class is about, to help you get into the right mindset so that you may all draw upon your full potential". He halted again. "We shall start with a simple exercise. Most of you have an idea of how to gather magic, yes?" The students nodded. "And I assume that most of you have by now noticed that doing this is accompanied by a pleasant feeling". Most students nodded. "Good. Then we shall proceed". Pacing started again. "You will concentrate on three things. First, gathering your magic. Second, the accompanying pleasant feeling. Third, happy and positive memories. Doing this should amplify your magic". He signalled with his hand that they were allowed to begin.

Bloom closed her eyes to block out the sights around her, trying to minimize outside disturbances. Slowly, she focused on the magic. It was a strange feeling, like breathing, but not with her lungs. More with her... well, she really didn't know. But it felt much like breathing to her. Then she felt the tingling, so she focused on it while still breathing in the magic. And then she thought back on her life. Her tenth birthday where they had bought that giant cake, that summer when her best friend Selena was allowed to come with them on vacation, the day her mother opened her flower shop. She smiled and the tingling in her spread like a wildfire, filling her body with warm energy. And then something lit up before her. She opened her eyes curiously, only to see a massive flame hovering between her hands. She screamed in shock and pushed away instinctively and the massive ball of fire sailed through the air towards the teacher. Bloom felt time slow painfully. With a whoosh, the flames exploded against Avalon, obscuring him behind a veil of fire and smoke. Slowly the air cleared and Avalon looked at her, protected behind a shimmering shield, no worse for wear.

"I... I di... I wa... I di..." stammered Bloom mortified.

"It seems we've had a real breakthrough," Avalon concluded. "Well done. Though do be careful about pushing your magic away like that".

"I'll... I'll... I'll do my... my best" Bloom stammered in shock.

Avalon raised an eyebrow and with five measured steps, he was at her desk.

"Take a deep breath," he ordered.

"Wha...what?" replied Bloom, her teeth clattering.

"Take a deep breath and then count to ten," replied the teacher.

Bloom immediately obeyed, breathing deeply and counting down from ten in her head. As she did, she felt her body stop shaking.

"You experienced a shock reaction to the sudden surge of magic and the thought of accidentally harming me. That is a natural reaction. So take a moment to rest before continuing. If you feel like you need it, you are also allowed to excuse yourself from class," explained the teacher before returning to his desk.

After class, Bloom stumbled a bit out of the room, still unsteady on her legs.

"How are you?" asked Musa concerned as she caught up with her.

"Still shocked," replied Bloom. "Better now, though. I just didn't expect that to happen".

"Well, you are unused to magic, so that is to be expected," added Flora as she walked up beside them. "Do not worry, Alfea teachers are trained in handling accidental bursts of magic. Professor Avalon's job entails handling situations like that".

"I just... I mean, I knew about the fire thing, but I never really thought that I might accidentally light someone on fire," replied Bloom. "It just..." She stopped and looked at Techna, who was studying her with a big smile plastered on her face. "What?" asked the redhead finally.

"You're Firetop from now on," replied the girl. "Much better fit that Ginger".

"Yay," replied Bloom flatly.

"And that Avalon. Good reaction time on that shield. Also, he must be working out everyday, because those where some solid looking muscles bulging beneath that uniform of his. Yum," Techna continued while licking her lips.

"Just for your information, before you jump the poor guy, teacher student relationships are strictly forbidden," added Musa.

"Well, I'm not going to be a student forever," replied Techna cheekily. "Hey Blondie. You're doing a good job".

Stella, who was currently scrubbing the floor, replied with a series of family unfriendly gestures and remarks.

"She's such a hard worker," continued Techna happily, as they left the cursing princess behind, causing her friends to roll their eyes.

…

Several days later, the weekend arrived, promising rest and relaxation. Well, for most people.

"What do you mean we won't be able to attend the Mermaid Passion concert?" asked Stella horrified.

"I would have imagined that would be rather obvious," replied Griselda, going through her notepad. "Your scheduled tasks overlap with the start of the concert, there simply isn't time for any of you to go".

The blonde's cheeks expanded as she pouted heavily.

"I'm sorry, but that's just how things are," said Griselda.

"But that's totally not fair. It's like we're just getting extra punishment out of nowhere," moaned Stella.

"Well, life isn't fair and your assigned duties must come first. It's your own fault you have these in the first place. Now I must ask you to leave, I too have work to do," continued the deputy.

"Can we at least invite someone over to have our own party with?" asked Techna.  
"As long as your duties are finished, you are free to do whatever you want. Within reason," added Griselda, sending the group a glare.

"Roger that," replied Techna, as she and the other girls left the office.

"Well, that sucks," said Musa.

"Sucks? Mermaid Passion is in town and I won't get to hear them. As if the blisters and dust and broken nails wasn't enough," moaned Stella sorrowfully.

"Could you tone it down a bit? My stomach can't handle that much ham," commented Musa.

"Thanks for the sympathy," grumbled Stella.

"So, who did you think of inviting?" Flora asked Techna curiously.

"I figured Stella could give that Prince guy a call and have him bring some friends over. We could buy some chips, some soda, maybe a little bit of alcohol, we got Musa to bring the music and presto, it's a party," explained Techna.

"That doesn't sound half bad actually," admitted Stella, a weak smile forming. "I'll give them a call, see if they can't drop by tomorrow".

…

The next day, at the lower floors of the Cloud Tower Institute, two witches where visiting the gym. One was Mirta Glyn, carefully adjusting her training clothes as she walked across the hard wooden floor.

The other was a taller girl with much more lean features, almost downright bony looking, with limbs that looked just a tad bit too long for her. Jagged green hair crowned her head and a prominent hooked nose stood out from her angular face. As she slowly stretched her limps, causing audible cracks from her joints, she looked to the side and with a warm smile said: "Happy you could join me, Mirta".

"Also happy to be here, Lucy," replied Mirta. "So, how goes alchemy? You said that you had trouble with it".

"I still can't remember which coloured liquid combined with which multicoloured goop does stuff," replied the lanky girl. "At least Bittersmoke is a very patient man". She slowly stretched and proceeded to do a couple of easy dance moves to help herself find balance on her disproportionate limbs. As she lightly twirled, she asked: "So, that girl from Alfea you came home with. What was her name?"

"Ehm... Flora," Mirta replied quietly, blushing a bit.

"Yeah, her. Still hanging with her?" asked Lucy while going through her dance routine.

"Yes, we've seen each other a couple of times now. She's... nice," replied Mirta, looking away so as to not reveal her beet red face.

"She's treating you alright?" asked the lanky girl, going through a wobbly pirouette.

"What... yes, yes she does," replied Mirta quickly.

"Good. That's all I wanted to know," finished Lucy, standing still to regain her balance, small droplets of sweat forming on her face. She breathed out and said: "The rest is none of my business".

"Oh, it's okay," replied Mirta, her face finally returning to her normal pale colour. "I know you mean well".

"Yeah. Well, I'm just glad she's managed to put such a smile on your face," replied Lucy with a grin, causing Mirta's face to flush again. "If anybody gives you any grief about it, tell me and I'll leave a little surprise in their beds".

"I don't think that will be necessary," said Mirta quickly, starting her own stretching. "Why would anybody be after me about that?"

"There's some of our class mates who just have a giant hate on for fairies," replied the lanky girl.

"That's just silly," sighed Mirta with a head shake. "Really, we should just try to get along. I mean, what will rivalry between witches and fairies get us anyway? It's downright silly".

"You tell me," chuckled Lucy as her friend began her own dance routine. "But not everyone has gotten that memo. Did you hear what happened with Isabelle and her hanger-ons?"

"I heard through the grapevine that they stole something from an Alfea student and got caught," replied the pale witch.

"That's the least of it. They hired an ogre to help them, they also kidnapped and impersonated the girl, plus had a big fight right outside the main door. I hear Griffin was livid".

"What? Why would they do something like that?" asked Mirta shocked.

"Don't ask me. Those three are prime candidates to becoming the next Ancestral Witches if you ask me," replied the green haired witch as she started dancing again.

"That's not a nice thing to say," admonished her friend.

"Maybe not, but they're not nice people," replied Lucy with a shrug.

"Well, maybe not, but still..." countered Mirta.

They both trained for a while in silence. As Mirta did a semi-complicated twelve-step manoeuvre, she noticed a poster on the wall. "Miss Magix," she read aloud.

"Oh. That," Lucy said tonelessly.

"Something wrong?" asked the redhead witch concerned.

"My parents brought it up last I talked with them," sighed Lucy annoyed. "Another thing to add to their long list of 'Shit Lucy can't ever do right'". She stared glumly out the window. "Of course, they also had to point out how successful Clements, Edgar and the others are".

"I'm... I'm sure they didn't mean it like that," Mirta tried, hoping to lighten her friend's mood.

"They said they were thinking of getting me to a professional alterer," muttered Lucy. "But they were afraid it would just be a waste of money if I was just going to think myself ugly again".

"Oh," said Mirta, unable to come up with a meaningful reply.

"Sorry, I think I'm done training for today. I need some fresh air," sighed Lucy as she started to leave the room, her friend close behind her.

…

Several floors above them, the three witches Isabella, Darcy and Maria walked into their common room after another day of assisting in the Alfea library.

"I'm beat," moaned Stormy as she dropped into a sofa.

"I can't believe Griffin is making us do this," hissed Icy as she started to stomp back and forth. "When I get my hands on those girls, I'll..."

"If you get anywhere near those girls with anything even resembling hostile intentions, Griffin will have you shipped off to Lightrock faster than you can say dragonflame," stated Darcy. Icy stopped her stomping, before dropping into a chair with an audible huff.

"Now, I've been going over what we did last time, and in my opinion, our biggest mistake was timing," started Darcy while rubbing her chin. "We simply got the ring too late, which meant we had to keep it in here. I mean, a closet isn't exactly the best of hiding places. Looking back, there really was no way for that to end well, even if the ring had had enough dragonflame in it. Next time..."

"Why should there be a next time?" sighed Maria unenthusiastically.  
"I'm sorry. What?" asked Darcy.

"Look at us. We're not merely back to square one, we're even further back. Griffin is going to be keeping an eye on us, heck, all of the staff is. We get to spend the rest of the school year doing boring library work on Alfea. So let's just drop the whole dragonflame thing before we screw up again, ´kay," replied Stormy despondently.

Darcy and Icy looked at each other.

"Well, to be honest, you're not entirely wrong. This has been quite the setback. However, it could have been worse. Griffin doesn't know our true intentions thanks to the story I fed her," countered Darcy. "If she knew what we were planning, well, I wouldn't put it past her to give us a one way ticket to Omega".

"Oh, now I feel better, because now I know I risk ending up on fucking Omega if we continue this bullshit," grumbled Stormy.

"If my parents had any say over this school, this would never have happened," added Icy, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Yeah, well, let's be honest. Your family doesn't have much say over anything these days," Darcy pointed out.

The white haired witch glared at her coldly and said: "We're working on that".

"Hey, I don't blame your family for your lack of influence," added Darcy, holding up her hands defensively. "I'm just pointing out that your house doesn't have a lot of say any more".

Icy replied with a low growl.

"So, what was it like? Before your family lost mostly everything?" asked Darcy curiously, as she started to look through her backpack.

"I can't remember much. Playing in a big snowy garden, getting home for hot drinks in our big mansion, vague things like that," replied Icy, rubbing her temples. "Most of what I know comes from photo albums and Mom's stories. We once had it all, fame, power, wealth, connections to royalty". A look of intensity descended over her face. "And that was taken from us. Now Mom and Dad has to bow and scrape for people not even a tenth as great as they are. We deserve better than this. I will have my family returned to the glory we are due".

"And that's what we're working on," added Darcy nonchalant as she withdrew an arcane instrument from her backpack.

"What is that thing?" asked Stormy.

"Well, since we needed a new source of dragonflame, I got this thing up and running. It can trace them, so I just carry it around to get some random readings, which can..." The dirty blonde witch immediately stopped, her eyes wide.

"What, what?" asked Icy at the edge of her seat.

"This thing peaked while we were at Alfea. They got a major source of dragonflame somewhere over there," replied Darcy stunned.

"Where?" Icy asked interested.

"No idea. It was just set to catch the waves, not give me a direction," replied Darcy. "But that can be fixed". She adjusted something on the apparatus. "There we go". Resolutely she walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Stormy, curiosity seeping into her voice.

"Back to Alfea. I'm going to try to figure out where this dragonflame is," Darcy replied as she headed out the door. "Tonight's concert night, so the timing couldn't be better".

…

"Hi, girls. How's it..." asked Sky as he entered the common room, only to be drowned out by: "...and on my feet and even my knees. Blisters on my knees, how does that happen? My hands, my ankles, my back, every single part of my body is totally sore. Not to mention how dirty I am. I still haven't..."

"I can already sense this party is going to rock my socks off," commented Riven dryly as he also entered, followed by Brandon and Timmy. "What's with her?"

"I just asked how her cleaning went," replied Techna loudly to be heard over Stella's tsunami of complaints.

"Oh yeah. Ten minutes ago," added Musa, her ears covered with pillows.

"Oh, I can just totally feel the sympathy being heaped upon me," Stella commented annoyed.

"It's not like you're the only one who has to work. Me and Techna had to clean the floor in the hospital wing," reasoned Bloom.

"Oh, you girls got in trouble. What for?" asked Brandon curiously.

"Invading Cloud Tower and beating a couple of their students up," replied Techna nonchalant.

After a short pause filled with awkward silence, Timmy finally asked, completely flabbergasted: "Why?"

"Because they had kidnapped Stella, stolen her ring and tried to maim us," explained the scarred girl.

"That is, only a couple of the witches. Not the entirety of Cloud Tower," clarified Bloom.

Timmy sighed and pinched his nose before adding: "You girls have a statistically improbable ability to attract trouble".

"It's a gift," said Techna with a beaming grin.

"I think I have broken all my nails at least once," moaned Stella.

"I'm going to check up on Kiko, make sure he has water and food. Call me when she's done," said Bloom as she wandered back to her room.

"The problem is you focus too much on it being a chore. If I and Flora did that, of course helping Palladium with his gardening would be pure hell," said Musa annoyed as she dropped the pillows.

"How can cleaning possibly be fun?" asked the Solarian princess in disbelief.

"I don't know, make a dance out of it," Musa retorted. "Have some nice music playing and then soap, rinse, dry". She paused for a bit before repeating: "Soap, rinse, dry". A smile slowly appeared as she repeated the phrase, wagging her finger to a tune only she could hear. Stella stared at her as if the black haired girl had suddenly grown an extra head, before glancing at the others, who looked similarly nonplussed.

"Soap, rinse, dry," replied the musical girl, before snapping her fingers, bringing the music in her head into the room. Immediately Techna jumped into the middle of the room, bucket on head and broom in hand, and began an improvised dance routine to the beat. Stella stared slack jawed at the two's impromptu music and dance number dedicated to routine cleaning.

"Alright, that's it. I'm going home. There's too much crazy here," said Riven as he turned towards the door.

"The order to retreat hasn't been given yet," said Sky with a grin as he grabbed his friend's shoulder.

"Oh, you have all gone insane. That's nice," said Bloom as she entered the room again.

Flora sat in a chair, eating chips while enjoying the show with a big smile.

"Alright, I think that's enough. You're going to give Stella soap based nightmares if you keep this up," said the redhead after a moment, eyeing the increasingly irate blonde.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop," giggled Musa. "Though I'll have to keep that one in mind. Could work as a commercial jingle".

"If that happens, my first decree as queen of Solaria will be to ban television," grumbled Stella annoyed.

"How about we get this party started?" asked Brandon eagerly.

"Right. I got the music right here. Since we didn't get to go to the Mermaid Passion concert, I brought one of their CD's," said Musa as she put said object into the player.

"Great, cleaning complaints, insane song and dance routines plus I have to listen to bubblegum pop. I had cake in my cupboard so what am I doing here?" muttered Riven to himself.

"All part of the job, soldier," replied Sky, giving him an empathetic pat on the back.

As the speakers started playing a teen love song, the guests started partaking in the snacks, dancing and chatting.

Bloom walked up to Stella, who was gingerly dancing to the poppy beat, occasionally wincing due to her sore limps.

"So, you like the party?" asked Bloom conversationally.

"Very much. Though I would totally have preferred it without the blisters," replied the blonde, wincing again. "I think the one on my heel just burst".

"Thanks for telling," said Bloom, making a face. "Anyway, blisters or no, going to make any moves tonight?"

"I thought I already was," replied the Solarian princess confused.

"No, I mean, it's late, good music, good snacks, the boys are here. What about Sky?" asked Bloom.

"What about him?" replied Stella with a deer in headlights look on her face.

"Stella, I am pretty sure you're just playing dumb now," Bloom countered while giggling.

"Bloom, I already said I wasn't interested," replied Stella.

"Really? And yet you went on that date anyway," retorted Bloom.

"Well... you see... about that... I thought... anyway, so do you have eyes on anyone?" tried Stella as gracefully as the proverbial bull in a china shop.

Bloom rolled her eyes, before replying: "They're a nice bunch. Riven's a bit of a grump though".

"His mom ate too many bitter and sour things during her pregnancy," said Brandon as he passed by, heading for the snack table.

"Can that happen?" asked Bloom.

"Of course not," replied Stella. "Otherwise, common advice for pregnant women would, like, be for them to eat lots of sugar".

Over in the couch sat Timmy, head bobbing to the tune of the music.

"So, not going to join us on the dance floor?" asked Techna as she sat down beside him with a cold drink in hand, pearls of sweat forming on her forehead.

"Oh, no thanks, I'm a horrible dancer," replied Timmy. "I'll just end up breaking something. Or someone".

"There's nothing wrong with being an awful dancer. Or did I perhaps look like I was doing ballet out there?" asked the scarred girl with a grin.

"Well, perhaps it was a tribal dance to ward off demons" suggested Timmy while adjusting his glasses.

Techna snorted into her drink, accidentally spilling the liquid over herself. Timmy immediately patted the girl on her back while she simultaneously guffawed and coughed.

"Alright... that's it..." chuckled the magenta haired girl as she finally finished coughing. "You're coming with me".

As she dragged the bespectacled sharpshooter out on the dance floor, he panicked and called to Riven: "Help me. I can't dance".

"Sorry. I was told it's 'all part of the job'," retorted the magenta haired warrior.

…

Outside, Darcy passed through the iron gates of Alfea. She passed across the courtyard and carefully opened the front door. Delighted at its emptiness, she carefully scouted the entrance hall, before pulling out the magical instrument from before. It activated and after a few minutes of intense waiting in the shadows, it registered the nearby dragonflame and pointed towards it. With a smile, Darcy carefully headed in the general direction of the price.

…

"I think I need to sit down for a moment. My ankles are so sore. So are my knees. I've almost scraped off all the skin while cleaning," moaned Stella in a pained voice as she sat down.

"Not this again," sighed Riven.

"Okay, that's it," exclaimed Stella as she jumped up again. "I'm tots tired of you people ignoring my plight. Do any of you, like, have any idea how much I have cleaned? Do you want to know?"

"Not at all," replied Riven.

"Well, you're all going to. Come with me," ordered the blonde princess while marching out of the room.

"Should we follow?" asked Bloom.

"It is probably for the best," replied Flora as she put down her drink and followed the ticked off princess.

"There's no way I'm getting a guided tour of her cleaning," declared Riven, before Sky and Brandon grabbed both of his arms and dragged him out of the room. "Hey, what gives?"

"Sorry, buddy. You set her off, you get to suffer with us," said Sky as they dragged the protesting warrior out of the room.

Darcy stopped for a bit as the instrument changed direction. She briefly ponded why that would happen, before concluding that she would most likely find that out when she tracked the dragonflame down. She changed course and went down another hall.

…

"And I had to clean every single toilet in here," said Stella as she held the bathroom door open. "Do you have any idea how some of those smelled until I was done with them? Not like roses, I can tots tell you that". She continued down the hall saying: "And here I had to scrub the floor. Over here was a particularly stubborn spot where some inconsiderate clod had spilled juice without, like, even attempting to clean up".

As the group followed Stella, who was elaborating on all of the last couple of days work, Riven allowed himself to sink into the back of the group. The moment everyone's attention were at what Stella described as the worst, most dusty, totally disgusting web she had ever had to clean, he immediately sneaked down another hall. He hurried down the corridor as silently as he could, thanking his teachers they had taught him the art of speedy sneaking. He rounded a corner, looking back over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't followed, before barging into someone and falling to the floor.

"Ouch," said Darcy, rubbing her forehead.

"Oh, sorry," replied Riven a tad bit discombobulated.

"Don't think you're getting away, mister," said Stella sternly as she rounded the corner. She froze for a bit, before saying with a chill voice: "You".

"Yes, me," confirmed Darcy as she got up, dusting of her clothes. "Nice to see you again".

"What are you doing here?" asked Stella suspiciously.

"I lost an earring. I figured I might have dropped it while working here earlier today," she explained, adjusting her backpack.

"And you think we're going to buy that?" Stella asked acidly.

"Don't know. Don't care" replied Darcy.

"Oh, you're going to care because you're coming with us to Faragonda," said Bloom.

"Really? You're quite the suspicious lot," complained Darcy.

"Well, after having an ogre sicked at us, having our good friend impersonated, having you lot try to kill us and so on, we're getting just an itsy bit paranoid," snarked Musa.

…

"I understand why you are suspicious, but there is no reason to think she's here for anything else but her earring," concluded Faragonda. "Though why didn't you just call us?"

"Well, school's open for all students, even from other schools, in the weekends, so I figured I might as well come look myself. Not like I had anything else to do," replied Darcy, surrounded by girls throwing her suspicious looks.

"Well, visiting hours are over soon, so I'm afraid you'll have to go home without it. You're welcome to return tomorrow to search and if the staff or anyone else finds it, we'll contact Cloud Tower," explained Faragonda.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. See ya," said Darcy as she left the room.

"Well, that settles that," concluded Faragonda.

"Do you really think she were just here for an earring?" questioned Bloom.

"We have no reason to suspect otherwise. Therefore, I think we can give her the benefit of the doubt. Though I do understand why you girls would be less than inclined to do so, given your history," said Faragonda understandingly.

As they left the office, they encountered the boys outside.

"So, any nefarious plots uncovered?" Sky asked jokingly.

"I don't buy her excuse. Especially not after that fable she spun last time she was caught," grumbled Techna.

"Well, we're going home now. It's late, but we've had a great time. We should do this again sometimes," suggested Brandon.

"Not if it involves another tour of the castle clean-up," added Riven as they left.

"Well, that was a fun evening. It is always great to be among friends," concluded Flora as the girls returned to their cluster.


End file.
